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Manual Soyuz MS-21 docking was due to Kurs system issue, cause unknown yet

During the space mission the crew is to conduct more than 50 experiments in space biology and physiology, materials processing, cosmic ray physics and other fields

KOROLEV /Moscow Region/, March 18. /TASS/. The Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft’s manual docking with the Pirs module of the International Space Station was required due to a yet unknown issue with the Kurs automated docking system, the head of the Russian segment of the ISS, Vladimir Solovyev, told reporters on Friday.

"At a distance of about 180 meters <…> something happened to the Kurs system for reasons that are yet unknown, and the manual mode had to be used," he said.

A Soyuz-2.1a space rocket carrying the S.P. Korolyov spacecraft (Soyuz MS-21) with a crew of three - Oleg Artemiev, Denis Matveyev and Sergey Korsakov - blasted off from the Baikonur space center at 18:55 on Friday. The spacecraft was named after renowned Soviet spacecraft designer, founder of crewed space programs Sergey Korolyov.

During the space mission the crew is to conduct more than 50 experiments in space biology and physiology, materials processing, cosmic ray physics and other fields. As Artemiev said, there will be seven spacewalks. One will be in cooperation with Italian astronaut Samantha Christoforetti, and all others with Denis Matveyev. On March 19, Artemiev will get down to work in his other capacity - that of a TASS special correspondent in space.

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