NASA considering deploying Crew Dragon to transport ISS astronauts through Soyuz leak

NASA is investigating whether SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule can be used as a transport to Earth from the ISS. It should be an alternative to the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft, in which a leak was discovered earlier this month.

NASA and the Russian space agency Roscosmos are still investigating the cause of the leaky coolant pipe on Soyuz MS-22, which was discovered in mid-December. The spacecraft was supposed to return three astronauts, two Russians and an American, to Earth early next year.

“We’ve asked SpaceX a few questions about their ability to send back additional Dragon capsule crewmembers if needed, but right now our focus isn’t on that,” NASA spokeswoman Sandra Jones said in a statement. a statement to Reuters. It’s unclear exactly what NASA asked SpaceX about the capsule’s capabilities. SpaceX has not yet responded to Reuters’ questions.

Ultimately, the best way to send the crew members back depends on the outcome of the investigation. The leak could be a puncture caused by a meteoroid, but it could also have been caused by the impact of a piece of space debris. A hardware failure on the Soyuz spacecraft is also taken into account. In January, NASA and Roscosmos will decide how they will transport the astronauts and when, writes Space.com.