MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. A final decision on possible changes in the flight program of the International Space Station’s (ISS) crew will be made early next year, Russia’s state space corporation Roscosmos said on Tuesday.
"The commission will make organizational decisions about future actions of ground specialists and the crew of the ISS Russian segment, as well as on possible changes in the station’s flight program in January 2023 on the basis of the working groups’ findings," itt said.
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.