MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Preparations for the launch of the Soyuz MS-23 manned spacecraft can be stepped up if necessary, Russia’s Roscosmos State Space Agency said in a statement on Saturday.

"Preparations for the launch of the Soyuz MS23 ship are underway at the Baikonur spaceport. If the need arises, they can be stepped up to send the spacecraft to the ISS earlier than scheduled," the statement reads.

The surface of the instrument and equipment compartment of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft was damaged on Thursday. A spacewalk was canceled following the incident. Roscosmos Executive Director for Manned Space Programs Sergey Krikalev said that the spacecraft’s radiator could have been hit by a micrometeoroid. The Soyuz MS-23 launch was initially scheduled for March 2023.

The Russian segment of the International Space Station

The Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) continues to operate normally, Roscosmos added.

The surface of the instrument and equipment compartment of Russia’s Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft, docked to the ISS, was damaged on Thursday. Roscosmos Executive Director for Manned Space Programs Sergey Krikalev said that the spacecraft’s radiator could have been hit by a micrometeoroid.

"The flight of the Russian segment of the International Space Station continues normally. The cosmonauts are working in accordance with their schedule and there is no danger to their lives and health," the statement reads.

Experts from the Mission Control Center outside Moscow continue to monitor and assess the performance of all systems at the Russian ISS segment and the Soyuz MS-22 ship. Temperatures inside the spacecraft’s living compartment remain within acceptable limits and tests show that there are no other malfunctions, Roscosmos added.

According to the space corporation, a special meeting will be held in late December to develop recommendations on actions to address the consequences of the incident.