MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/. Groups of troubleshooters will gather for a meeting on December 27 to discuss the fate of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft, but no final decision will be made for the time being, the director of Roscosmos corporation’s crewed space programs, Sergey Krikalyov, said on Monday.
"A meeting is due tomorrow, but a final decision will not be taken for now. There will be a report by technical specialists and a technical decision made regarding the further mode of action and how the flight’s program should be changed," Krikalyov said.
He recalled that the cooling loop of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft had been lost due to damage and technicians were currently evaluating the implications.
"Medics will be asked to share their opinion. They will tell us whether the crew will be able to work inside the spacecraft for some time, should such a need arise," he added.
On December 15, sensors registered a drop in pressure in the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft’s external cooling loop as Russian cosmonauts were getting ready for a scheduled spacewalk. Visual examination confirmed a coolant leak. The spacewalk was called off. On December 16 a series of tests of the Soyuz MS-22 spaceship’s systems was conducted. The checks of the propulsion control system, including berthing and attitude thrusters exposed no flaws.
On December 18, the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft’s external surface was inspected with cameras installed on a robotic arm. The spot was identified where the spacecraft’s compartment housing instruments and equipment had been damaged. According to preliminary estimates, the damage could have been caused by a micrometeoroid or space debris.