The State Commission continues to analyze emergency situations with the Soyuz MS-22 manned spacecraft and Progress MS-21 cargo spacecraft that occurred on the International Space Station. The Soyuz MS-23 unmanned spacecraft will be launched to the station on February 24.
Survey of the outer surface of the Progress MS-21 cargo spacecraft
After undocking from the ISS on February 18, a detailed photo and video survey of the Progress MS-21 spacecraft was carried out.
According to preliminary data from the Rocket and Space Corporation Energia named after S.P. Korolev (part of the Roscosmos State Corporation), Progress MS-21, like Soyuz MS-22 before, was subjected to external influence. Such conclusions are made on the basis of photographs that show changes on the outer surface of the ship, including on the radiator of the instrument-aggregate compartment and solar panels. Holes were found on them that were not fixed either during the manufacture of Progress MS-21 at the plant, or during its preparation for launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, or during the flight and docking of the spacecraft with the ISS.
In addition, in order to exclude the version of a manufacturing defect, RSC Energia analyzed the history of comments on the thermal control system of the Soyuz and Progress spacecraft over the past 15 years.
“Remarks that could lead to such an emergency situation were not identified. The reliability reserve of the thermal control system is one year from the date of launch of the ship, so the system is guaranteed to be reliable in the design conditions of its operation,” follows from the report of the enterprise.
Image above: Photographs that show changes on the outer surface of the Progress MS-21 cargo spacecraft.
Experts continue to analyze the information received. It is also planned to conduct a series of ground experiments to simulate damage similar to what was detected on the Progress MS-21. This will help to finally check all versions and develop measures to counter such threats in the development and production of spacecraft and vehicles.
The information received allowed the state commission to decide on the possibility of an unmanned launch of the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft on February 24 and its docking to the ISS on February 26. This ship is designed to replace the emergency Soyuz MS-22, the regular return to Earth of the crew consisting of Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Prokopiev, Dmitry Petelin and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, as well as their urgent descent in case of an emergency.
