Russia Launches Ship to Rescue Space Station Astronauts
- The Soyuz will replace a damaged ship docked at the ISS
- Uncrewed spacecraft to launch early Friday from Kazakhstan
The Soyuz MS-22 crew ship, bottom, docked to the Rassvet module of the International Space Station.
Source: NASAThis article is for subscribers only.
An uncrewed Russian spacecraft launched from Kazakhstan early Friday local time, serving as a lifeboat for three astronauts currently on board the International Space Station that will allow them to return to Earth safely after a delayed homecoming.
The trio, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, flew to the station in September and were slated to come back this spring before their return ship was damaged. The incoming Russian Soyuz craft will bring them back to Earth possibly in September of this year.