Russia to launch 2 manned, 3 cargo missions to ISS in early 2022; redocks previous capsule

Russian Space Agency Roscosmos, in association with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is all set to launch 5 spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) in the first half of 2022. The missions will include 2 manned flights in Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft to the ISS on March 18. Additionally, three cargo missions in Progress MS 19, scheduled for February 15.

The Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft will take flight with astronauts Oleg Artrmyev, Denis Maryeyev, and Sergey Karsakov onboard. Following this, another Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft will carry astronauts Sergey Prokopyev, Anna Kikina and Dimitry Petelin to the ISS on September 21. Meanwhile, in 2021, Roscosmos is preparing to set a course for four space launches with two Progress, one Soyuz and one Nauka module of spacecraft.

Soyuz MS-19 at ISS redocks to free Rassavet port

At the ISS, the previously launched spaceflights are making shifts to allow space for the scheduled launches. On September 28, the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft that first launched and arrived at the International Space Station on April 9 has now successfully relocated with its crew aboard from the station’s Earth-facing Rassvet module to the “Nauka” Multipurpose Laboratory Module. The Russian Soyuz MS-18 had undocked from the Rassvet module on the International Space Station at 8:21 am,  NASA said in a statement. Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy, who is the commander of the Soyuz spacecraft, and Pyotr Dubrov along with NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei were onboard to ensure successful relocation of the spacecraft. the trio made a victorious attempt and completed relocation at 9:04 am. Nauka arrived at the station in July and was attached to the station’s Zvezda module, providing a new laboratory and robotic arm aboard the orbiting outpost to conduct experiments, store scientific instruments and provide additional sleeping and bathroom for the onboard spacemen.

"It is the first time a spacecraft has attached to the new Nauka module, which arrived at the station in July, and is the 20th Soyuz port relocation in station history and the first since March 2021," the space agency added. 

According to NASA, the relocation has freed the Rassvet port for the arrival October 5 of another Soyuz spacecraft, designated Soyuz MS-19. The spacecraft moves from Earth with Soyuz commander and cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos and spaceflight participants Klim Shipenko and Yulia Peresild onboard. Meanwhile, Vande Hei and Dubrov are scheduled to remain aboard the station until March 2022. They are scheduled to return to Earth in the Soyuz MS-18 in October 2022.

With inputs from ANI

Image: @Nasa/Twitter