Russian Cosmonauts Could Return To Earth On US Crew Dragon Ship If Necessary - Roscosmos

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2023) Russian cosmonauts could return from the International Space Station (ISS) back to Earth on US Crew Dragon spaceship, if it is necessary, Russian space agency Roscosmos said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, NASA's International Space Station (ISS) Program Manager Joel Montalbano held a a press conference about the SpaceX Crew-6 mission to the ISS.

"According to him (Montalbano), if necessary, in addition to (NASA astronaut) Francisco Rubio, it will be possible to accommodate Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin in Crew Dragon," Roscosmos said on Telegram.

On December 14, a leak from the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft's cooling system occurred due to damage to the outer skin of the ship's instrument and assembly compartment.

The Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft will be sent to the ISS uncrewed on February 20 and is expected to dock with the station on February 22. The Soyuz MS-22 will return to Earth without a crew.

Earlier in the month, Roscosmos said that the seats of all three Soyuz MS-22 crew members, Rubio, Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin, will be transferred to the Soyuz MS-23 in February to bring them back to Earth. Rubio's seat will be temporarily located in the Crew Dragon spacecraft in case of an emergency on the ISS.