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ISS orbit adjusted ahead of Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft’s February launch

The launch of the crewless Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft is scheduled for February 20, 2023

MOSCOW, January 18. /TASS/. The orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) was adjusted to create ballistic conditions for the undocking of the damaged Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft and the docking of the Soyuz MS-23 replacement vehicle, the Russian space agency Roscosmos announced on Wednesday.

"This time, the orbit was adjusted before the landing of the Soyuz MS-22 and the uncrewed launch of the Soyuz MS-23," Roscosmos said.

According to preliminary data, the space station’s average orbital altitude increased by 1.6 km to 417.1 km above Earth’s surface. The adjustment maneuver was carried out by firing the thrusters of the Progress MS-20 resupply ship attached to the orbital outpost. The thrusters were activated at 5:57 p.m. Moscow time for 591.4 seconds, Roscosmos said.

The launch of the crewless Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft is scheduled for February 20, 2023.

Currently, Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev, Dmitry Petelin who is also a TASS special reporter in space and Anna Kikina, NASA astronauts Josh Cassada, Frank Rubio and Nicole Mann and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata are working aboard the orbital outpost.

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