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Space station’s orbit adjustment rescheduled for Feb. 3 for ballistic reasons — Roscosmos

After analyzing the situation, Russia’s state commission made a decision to bring the damaged Soyuz spacecraft back to Earth in crewless mode and return the cosmonauts whose mission has been prolonged for several months aboard the Soyuz MS-23 spaceship

MOSCOW, February 1. /TASS/. The adjustment of the orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) planned for February 1 has been rescheduled for February 3 for ballistic reasons, the Russian space agency Roscosmos announced on Wednesday.

"The ISS orbit adjustment with the help of the Progress MS-20 resupply ship’s thrusters planned for February 1 has been rescheduled for the backup date, February 3, for ballistic reasons," Roscosmos said.

TASS special reporter in space, Roscosmos cosmonaut Dmitry Petelin earlier said that the ISS orbit would be adjusted on Wednesday afternoon.

He specified that the maneuver was required for preparing ballistic conditions before the launch of a Progress MS-22 resupply ship, the landing of the damaged Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft and the crewless launch of the Soyuz MS-23 spaceship as a replacement vehicle.

The space mission of Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio has been extended after a coolant loop on an external radiator of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft docked to the orbital outpost experienced a leak on December 15.

After analyzing the situation, Russia’s state commission made a decision to bring the damaged Soyuz spacecraft back to Earth in crewless mode and return the cosmonauts whose mission has been prolonged for several months aboard the Soyuz MS-23 spaceship.

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.