Preparations Underway to Bring Back Astronauts Stranded on International Space Station
August 16, 2023, 5:44 AM
After an unexpected extension of their mission, preparations are now being made to bring back three astronauts who have been living on the International Space Station (ISS) for nearly a year. The astronauts, Nasa astronaut Frank Rubio and Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev, were initially scheduled to return six months ago.
Earlier this year, the Russian space agency Roscosmos sent a rescue craft to the ISS, which is now expected to depart on September 27, with the three stranded astronauts on board. During their time on the ISS, the crew was joined by UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, who arrived in March and participated in the Arab world’s longest space mission.
The American and two Russian astronauts originally arrived at the ISS on September 21, 2022. However, just three months after docking, their Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft suffered catastrophic damage, believed to have been caused by a meteor strike.
The damaged spacecraft was brought back to Earth by Russia in autonomous mode in March, as repairs were not possible due to a coolant leak caused by a small hole in the spacecraft, likely a result of a micrometeorite impact. The astronauts’ return journey was postponed until now to ensure a stable temperature during their re-entry.
The upcoming mission, named Soyuz MS-23, will see the astronauts land in Kazakhstan. The exact landing time will be announced closer to the date.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Nasa announced that one of two maneuvers had been successfully performed to undock the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft from the ISS. This maneuver will help ensure the correct trajectory for their journey back to Earth. Additionally, preparations are being made for the arrival of the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft, a planned Russian crewed mission set to travel to the ISS in September.
This extended stay on the ISS has resulted in a record time spent in space for the American astronauts. Frank Rubio will surpass the previous record set by Mark Vande Hei, who spent 355 consecutive days on the ISS from 2020 to 2021. The Russian cosmonauts, Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev, will also break the Russian record previously held by Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov, who were on the same mission as Mark Vande Hei.
While stranded on the ISS, the three astronauts have been busy carrying out various tasks that were originally assigned to the crew meant to replace them. These include maintenance work, spacewalks, outreach activities, and science investigations.
On the upcoming Soyuz MS-24 mission, which is scheduled to launch in September, Nasa astronaut Loral O’Hara and cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub will travel to the ISS. As for UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, he is expected to return to Earth this month on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
As the preparations continue, the successful return of the astronauts will mark the conclusion of their extraordinary journey in space, highlighting the resilience and determination of the international space community.