MOSCOW, December 20. /TASS/. US astronauts extended a helping hand to their Russian colleagues after an emergency on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft docked to the orbital outpost, Roscosmos chief Yury Borisov said, when speaking with cosmonauts on Tuesday.
"Send a big hello from me to the American team, who showed what they’re made of in this situation and lent a helping hand. I hope we will cope with the situation," he said, speaking to the crew, aired live by NASA.
He stressed that the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) had set an example to the entire world of how to work together in difficult situations. "A great many politicians should learn a lesson from you all," he added.
On December 15, a drop in pressure in the Soyuz MS-22 manned spacecraft’s external cooling loop was recorded as Russian cosmonauts were preparing for their scheduled spacewalk. A visual inspection of the spacecraft from the orbital outpost confirmed the coolant leak, which subsequently canceled the spacewalk.
As the Russian space agency reported, Roscosmos flight controllers conducted a series of tests on the Soyuz MS-22 spaceship’s systems, including a test of its propulsion control system that involved short-term activation of its berthing and altitude thrusters. The tests revealed that there were no other faults found.
On December 18, the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft’s external surface was inspected with the help of cameras aboard the space station. The analysis of the data transmitted to Earth helped detect a potential leak in the spacecraft’s instrumentation/equipment compartment.
According to preliminary data, the damage could have been caused by a micrometeoroid or space debris striking the external cooling loop on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft’s instrumentation/equipment compartment.