NASA ponders SpaceX astronaut rescue as backup after Soyuz leak: report - Space.com

NASA mightiness usage a SpaceX spacecraft to rescue 3 abstraction presumption unit members depending connected a leaky Soyuz to get home, a study suggests.

The Soyuz spacecraft connected the International Space Station suffered a terrible coolant leak on Dec. 15 and a determination astir whether it is harmless to nonstop the unit backmost to Earth connected it volition travel in January, Russia has said. If a rescue Soyuz trade is needed it could lone travel in February, 2 oregon 3 weeks earlier the mean changeover successful March.

NASA is seemingly considering utilizing SpaceX, the lone institution presently flying astronauts into abstraction from American soil, arsenic a backup if these options don't enactment out.

"We person asked SpaceX a fewer questions connected their capableness to instrumentality further unit members connected Dragon if necessary, but that is not our premier absorption astatine this time," NASA spokesperson Sandra Jones said successful a connection to Reuters (opens successful caller tab), published Wednesday (Dec. 28). SpaceX did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Related: Hole successful leaky Soyuz spacecraft not caused by Geminid meteor

NASA did not clarify with Reuters what options with SpaceX mightiness beryllium possible, specified arsenic whether the institution could motorboat a backup Crew Dragon spacecraft to prime up the crew, oregon adhd much seats to the existing Dragon (called Endeavour) docked astatine the abstraction station.

All seats connected Endeavour are nominally full, arsenic it is expected to carnivore location Crew-5 successful aboriginal 2023, including NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina.

The unit that was utilizing the affected Soyuz, called MS-22, includes Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin, and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, each of whom came to abstraction successful a Russian Sokol spacesuit. Normally, SpaceX lone launches unit members who person been fitted for a custom-made SpaceX spacesuit. How this contented would beryllium flooded was besides not addressed successful the report.

Related: How SpaceX's sleek spacesuit changes astronaut manner from the abstraction shuttle era

The origin of the leak connected Soyuz MS-22 has not yet been determined, but it could originate from abstraction debris oregon a micrometeroid that was incapable to beryllium tracked owed to the tiny size. Follow-up scans of the Soyuz showed a hole successful its radiator exterior.

The ISS unit is successful nary contiguous information from the situation, but the interest comes if the analyzable had to beryllium evacuated for immoderate reason, arsenic for the clip being, it is imaginable that 3 individuals person nary harmless thrust home.

Elizabeth Howell is the co-author of "Why Am I Taller (opens successful caller tab)?" (ECW Press, 2022; with Canadian astronaut Dave Williams), a publication astir abstraction medicine. Follow her connected Twitter @howellspace (opens successful caller tab). Follow america connected Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens successful caller tab) or Facebook (opens successful caller tab).