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Russian cosmonauts to re-dock Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft to nodal module for safe spacewalks

Maneuver in manual mode will be performed by cosmonaut Sergei Prokopiev

MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. The Soyuz MS-23 manned spacecraft will detach from the Poisk mini-research module and dock to the Prichal nodal compartment on Thursday afternoon to provide for safe spacewalks from the International Space Station (ISS), the Roscosmos press office announced.

"Today, the Soyuz MS-23 manned spacecraft is set to re-dock from the Poisk mini-research module to the Prichal nodal module aboard the International Space Station," the press office said in a statement.

Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev will handle the re-docking maneuver in manual mode. TASS special reporter in space, Roscosmos cosmonaut Dmitry Petelin and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio will stay together with Prokopyev inside the Soyuz MS-23 vehicle during the maneuver, it said.

The Soyuz MS-23 spaceship is set to detach from the Poisk mini-research module at 11:45 a.m. Moscow time and dock to the Prichal nodal compartment at 12:23 p.m. Moscow time, spending less than an hour separately from the orbital outpost, Roscosmos said.

The re-docking maneuver is intended to provide for safe extra-vehicular activity scheduled for spring/summer of this year, it said.

"The spaceship’s re-docking will be carried out to ensure safe spacewalks under a Russian program from the Poisk module expected in the spring/summer of 2023," Roscosmos said.

The Soyuz MS is a Russian manned spaceship intended to deliver crews to the ISS and bring them back to Earth. In addition, Soyuz MS spacecraft are used to deliver small cargo to the orbital outpost and return them from orbit, and also to remove waste from the space station in the habitation compartment that burns up in the dense layers of the atmosphere upon the spacecraft re-entry.

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