NASA and Russia’s area company stated Wednesday that they are planning to ship up an uncrewed Soyuz spacecraft to the Worldwide House Station to interchange the one which sprung a leak in December.
DWANE BROWN, HOST:
A number of individuals aboard the Worldwide House Station discovered yesterday that their keep is being prolonged by a number of months after their spacecraft was broken in orbit. The Russian area company stated it plans to launch an uncrewed Soyuz spacecraft subsequent month. That capsule will exchange the one which flew two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut to the station final September. Brendan Byrne of member station WMFE in Orlando has extra.
BRENDAN BYRNE, BYLINE: It has been 4 weeks for the reason that cosmonauts and astronauts aboard the area station have been surprised to look out the home windows to see one thing leaking from a docked Soyuz spacecraft that flew three of them to the orbiting lab final 12 months.
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ROB NAVIAS: We’re nonetheless in live performance with the Russian flight controllers exterior of Moscow, evaluating a stream of particles that seems to be coming from the Soyuz MS-22.
BYRNE: That stream of particles turned out to be coolant. An investigation by the Russian area company decided a meteoroid strike was accountable.
TERRY VIRTS: Identical to in the event you’re in a automobile and a rock pops up and hits your radiator fluid and it leaks out, you possibly can drive the automobile for a short time, however you do not need to drive it for too lengthy.
BYRNE: Retired NASA astronaut Terry Virts flew to the station in 2015 on a Soyuz capsule. He says the coolant is a vital a part of the car.
VIRTS: In the identical method, you possibly can fly the Soyuz for a short time. However the computer systems and, most significantly, the individuals inside will begin to overheat fairly shortly.
BYRNE: With no approach to radiate warmth, it could be an uncomfortable flight, with temperatures within the capsule anticipated round 100 levels. And due to that, the leaky capsule is not protected to move crew again residence in March as scheduled. Now it should return to Earth sooner or later empty. So Russia is sending a brand new Soyuz with out a crew to the station subsequent month.
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JOEL MONTALBANO: We’re not calling it a rescue Soyuz.
BYRNE: NASA’s Joel Montalbano says at no level was the crew in rapid hazard. However capsules aren’t only for transporting individuals to and from the station. They’re lifeboats in case of an emergency, like a fireplace or chemical leak on the station. Astronauts can take refuge within the capsule. However ought to they should evacuate the station altogether, Sergei Krikalev of the Russian area company Roscosmos believes the Soyuz may nonetheless fly in an emergency.
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SERGEI KRIKALEV: Soyuz will not be good for nominal re-entry. However in case of emergency, with further danger, we’re going to use the Soyuz at this level.
BYRNE: For that motive, the businesses are working with SpaceX to probably use its docked Dragon capsule ought to there be a must make an escape earlier than the brand new spacecraft arrives. Due to the Soyuz swap, the present crew may prolong its keep to September for a full 12 months on the ISS.
For NPR Information, I am Brendan Byrne in Orlando.
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