Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 05-23-2021 10:40 AM
This thread is intended for comments and questions about the Soyuz MS-22 mission to the International Space Station.
SkyMan1958 Member
Posts: 1281 From: CA. Registered: Jan 2011
posted 05-23-2021 10:42 AM
Roscosmos announced the crew members:
For the first time after a long break, a Russian woman, Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina will become the ISS crewmember of the 68th expedition, scheduled for autumn 2022 - spring 2023. She will launch to the station with cosmonauts Sergey Prokopiev and Dmitry Petelin.
Oleg Kononenko, Nikolay Chub and Andrey Fedyaev will be their backups during the preparation.
Anna Kikina will become the second Russian woman to become a long term ISS Expedition crew member. The cynic in me says this is to "offset" the Russian actress, Yulia Peresild, who will fly during Expedition 66.
Whatever the case may be, I'm glad the Russians will be flying another female cosmonaut.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 07-15-2022 10:20 AM
From a NASA statement issued this morning, NASA has reached an agreement to resume integrated crews on U.S. crew spacecraft and the Russian Soyuz with the Russian State Space Corporation Roscosmos. With the agreement in place, NASA has assigned astronaut Frank Rubio to an upcoming mission as a flight engineer and member of the Expedition 68 crew.
Rubio, along with cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin of Roscosmos, is scheduled to launch Wednesday, Sept. 21, on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Roscosmos has reassigned Anna Kikina to launch on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 09-18-2022 11:53 AM
Rollout of the Soyuz MS-22 launch vehicle at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Sunday (Sept. 18):
Headshot Member
Posts: 1195 From: Vancouver, WA, USA Registered: Feb 2012
posted 09-18-2022 04:23 PM
I am curious to know if it just me, but on the majority of recent Soyuz crew photos that include a U.S. astronaut, the American flag on the left arm seems to be regularly obscured. I reviewed the crew photos on collectSPACE's Soviet Russian Space topic over the last year or so and none of them displayed the Stars and Stripes.
Am I being paranoid?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 09-18-2022 07:37 PM
There are plenty of photos with each crew that show the U.S. flag on the shoulder of the NASA astronaut(s). For consistency sake, I tend to use the fit-check portrait with the three crew members sitting on the access ladder outside of their Soyuz.
That area does not have enough room for all three to sit without overlapping each other and generally that means the commander sits up front with the two others seated slightly behind, resulting in one of their arms being obscured.
But that's not always the case, as you can in the Soyuz MS-12 photo (for example), so there is really nothing purposeful or nefarious about it.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 09-21-2022 12:00 AM
NASA video
Soyuz MS-22 is scheduled to lift off at 9:54 a.m. EDT (13:54 UTC) Wednesday, Sept. 21; NASA TV coverage will begin at 9 a.m.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 09-21-2022 09:44 PM
Current ISS configuration:
brianjbradley Member
Posts: 155 From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Registered: Dec 2010
posted 09-22-2022 08:00 AM
Was the station ingress and welcome ceremony with family comments not broadcast via NASA TV this time? I think I saw 10 seconds of hatch opening on NASA TV, but plenty of coverage of Artemis I being fuelled.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-14-2022 10:08 PM
At about 7:40 p.m. EST on Wednesday (Dec. 14), flight controllers noticed a significant leak of an unknown substance from the aft portion of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft docked to the Rassvet module on the International Space Station.
The leak is believed to have emanated from an exterior cooling loop.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-15-2022 02:16 PM
A brief update from NASA:
The external radiator cooling loop of the Soyuz is the suspected leak source.
Roscosmos is closely monitoring Soyuz spacecraft temperatures, which remain within acceptable limits. NASA and Roscosmos continue to coordinate external imagery and inspection plans to aid in evaluating the external leak location. Plans for an additional inspection of the Soyuz exterior using the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm are underway.
SpaceAholic Member
Posts: 5233 From: Sierra Vista, Arizona Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-16-2022 08:54 AM
The Department of Defense is tracking the potential for undocking as early as tomorrow (17 December) and return to Kazakhstan. (DOD provides human spaceflight support to Soyuz missions when US crew are onboard.)
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
NASA will use the 17.6-meter-long Canadarm2—also known as the space station remote manipulator system—to get a closer look at the Soyuz spacecraft. It's hoped that this visual inspection, likely to take place over the weekend, will provide more definitive information on the source of the leak, its cause, and whether other elements of the Soyuz spacecraft were damaged. To facilitate this work, NASA will delay a spacewalk planned for Monday by astronauts Frank Rubio and Josh Cassada.
In other diagnostic work, Roscosmos performed a test of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft's thrusters early on Friday morning to determine whether there were any issues with its propulsion system. This test, according to sources, was nominal.
The biggest concern, however, is the flight computers on board the Soyuz spacecraft overheating. They are used to calculate a precise entry for the Soyuz to ensure it lands in a designated area of Kazakhstan, near recovery forces. Without the flight computers, the procedure would have to be done manually. This is possible but far from optimal, as the area in which the Soyuz might land would be vast.
During the thruster test on Monday morning, the flight computer did warm up, but it did not exceed temperature limits, according to a source. There was a speculative report in the Russian press that the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft reached an internal temperature of 50 degrees Celsius, but Roscosmos said this is not accurate. ...
At present, the space station is in "high beta," which means it's in a period of full illumination from the Sun during the entirety of its orbit. Over time, this may cause the flight computers to overheat. For this reason, some consideration is being given to an early departure by the crew of Soyuz MS-22, cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin and NASA's Frank Rubio. They could leave the station as early as this month if flight controllers determine there is the potential for the flight computers or other sensitive avionics to be damaged before the spacecraft's planned return in March 2023.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-19-2022 02:09 PM
Update from Roscosmos (English summary via Katya Pavlushchenko on Twitter):
According to preliminary information, the damage could have been caused by the micrometeoroid or space debris hit into the external cooler radiator located on the service module of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft.
There is currently no need for an emergency evacuation.
Due to the conducted tests of the ship's systems, the temperature in the orbital and descent modules in the first days after the incident reached +30 C, and in the service module - +40 C, but in recent days, the temperature in the whole ship stabilized at about +30 C.
Two working groups have been formed to find the cause of the incident, analyze the technical condition of the ship and develop recommendations for further actions for ground specialists and the cosmonauts.
On December 16, 2022, a number of tests of the Soyuz MS-22 systems were conducted, including the thrusters tests. They have shown that there are no other malfunctions. The specialists plan to continue the tests.
On December 18, 2022, the outer surface of Soyuz MS-22 was examined using the cameras of the manipulator arm. The analysis of the data received on Earth allowed to detect a possible place of damage on the surface of the service module.
By the end of December, the working groups will make their conclusions, and a decision on the future of Soyuz MS-22 will be made. There are 2 options: to land the crew on this ship in March 2023, as planned, or send Soyuz MS-23 in an automatic mode to replace Soyuz MS-22.
Yuri Borisov, the head of Roscosmos, commented on the situation with Soyuz MS-22 to the media. He added a couple of important technical details to the Roscosmos statement (via Twitter):
The diameter of the hole is about 0.8 mm.
The decision on the future actions will be made on December 27.
If there will be any doubts in the safety of Soyuz MS-22, it will be replaced with Soyuz MS-23 which can be prepared for flight by February 19.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-27-2022 08:36 AM
Groups of troubleshooters will gather for a meeting today (Dec. 27) to discuss the fate of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft, but no final decision will be made for the time being, the director of Roscosmos corporation’s crewed space programs, Sergei Krikalev, said on Monday.
"A meeting is due tomorrow, but a final decision will not be taken for now. There will be a report by technical specialists and a technical decision made regarding the further mode of action and how the flight’s program should be changed," Krikalyov said.
He recalled that the cooling loop of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft had been lost due to damage and technicians were currently evaluating the implications.
"Medics will be asked to share their opinion. They will tell us whether the crew will be able to work inside the spacecraft for some time, should such a need arise," he added.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-10-2023 01:03 PM
NASA will host a media teleconference at 9 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 11, to discuss results from the investigation of the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-22 external coolant leak and the forward strategy for uninterrupted human operations aboard the International Space Station.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-11-2023 09:05 AM
As announced by Roscosmos and NASA today, Soyuz MS-22 will return to Earth without a crew at the end of February, about a week after the now uncrewed Soyuz MS-23 will arrive and dock at the International Space Station.
The primary concern with returning a crew to Earth on Soyuz MS-22 is that without a functioning coolant system, the temperature and humidity in the Soyuz would reach levels that would be unhealthy for anyone on board.
Roscosmos expects the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft to conduct a nominal reentry and land in Kazakhstan as usual.
If an emergency occurs on the space station before the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft can arrive on Feb. 20, requiring that the crew evacuate and return to Earth, then the plan is either to have all three Soyuz MS-22 crewmates lands on Soyuz MS-22 or perhaps transfer one crew member to Dragon. The plans for that unlikely scenario are still in work.
Through the analysis of on-orbit imagery and through ground tests, Roscosmos has determined that the damage to Soyuz MS-22 was caused by a micrometeorite impact, which not only damaged the radiator but also the pipe that fed ammonia coolant to the radiator. The impact is in a location that is unreachable by crew members and even if it was, a repair and the refilling of the coolant would be too difficult to do in space.
SkyMan1958 Member
Posts: 1281 From: CA. Registered: Jan 2011
posted 01-11-2023 12:13 PM
Just wondering, I realize the Sokol spacesuit is an IVA, but given that it is a spacesuit, shouldn't it be able to handle relatively high temperatures (still below boiling)? High humidity could be an issue.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-11-2023 12:32 PM
As a launch and entry suit, the Sokol suit is designed to protect its wearer for relatively brief exposures to extremes in the case of an emergency.
According to Roscosmos, it is expected that the interior cabin of Soyuz MS-22 will be at 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to six hours. The suited crew might survive such exposure but it would neither be healthy or pleasant.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 02-13-2023 10:49 AM
Roscosmos released this photo of the damage area on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft as viewed from the Canadarm2 robotic arm:
Paul78zephyr Member
Posts: 794 From: Hudson, MA Registered: Jul 2005
posted 03-09-2023 06:43 PM
Has a decision been made as to when the (unmanned) Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft will return to Earth? Is it docked near to where the newly arrived Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft is docked? Also will it carry any special cargo back from the ISS?
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-10-2023 10:50 AM
Soyuz MS-22 is currently scheduled to undock and land from the space station on March 28.
Soyuz MS-22 is docked to Rassvet mini-research module, while Soyuz MS-23 is docked to the zenith port of the Poisk mini-research module on the opposite side of the space station.
I believe Sergei Krikalev earlier mentioned that some science results and cargo was to be packed on Soyuz MS-22, taking the place of the crew, but no details were given.
Paul78zephyr Member
Posts: 794 From: Hudson, MA Registered: Jul 2005
posted 03-10-2023 09:33 PM
Robert, thank you so much for that info/update.
issman1 Member
Posts: 1104 From: UK Registered: Apr 2005
posted 03-28-2023 10:40 AM
I knew it would make a successful re-entry, descent and landing.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 50153 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 03-28-2023 10:59 AM
It did, but it would have been near disastrous for any crew aboard.
Though an initial report suggests the thermal conditions aboard Soyuz MS-22 were better than the predicted worst-case scenarios, it would have been about 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) if there had been two crew members aboard for the return.
Soyuz MS-22 did return (480 pounds) 218 kilograms of cargo in the cosmonauts' place. According to Roscosmos (via Russian Space Web):
Items to be returned included materials from science experiments, such as Neiroimmunitet, Biomag-M, Fotobioreaktor, Probiovit, Struktura, Fagen, MSK-2 and 3D Printer. In addition, some unidentified hardware from the Soyuz-MS spacecraft, including wide-band communications equipment, control avionics, air-conditioning systems, water and urine recycling components and oxygen producing equipment would also be returned, the State Corporation said.