Russia Launches Soyuz Rescue Ship to International Space Station

Later this year, the Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin, Sergei Prokopyev, and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio will return to Earth in the Soyuz MS-23

Two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut have been delayed in their return to Earth after their original spacecraft was damaged by a tiny meteorite while parked at the International Space Station. Russia has deployed an unmanned Soyuz spacecraft on a rescue mission to bring them back (ISS). On Friday, the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft successfully launched from the Kazakhstani Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is run by Russia.

The Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergei Prokopyev, as well as the American astronaut Frank Rubio, are not likely to return to Earth until later this year, despite the MS-23's anticipated early-morning Sunday docking with the ISS. The two Russians and the US crew member will now continue working at the ISS until September without the replacement crew aboard MS-23.

The damaged Soyuz MS-22 is expected to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) in late March and depart for Earth for an uncrewed parachute-assisted landing in Kazakhstan, and post-flight study by Roscosmos, according to a statement from NASA. Capsules that have carried humans to the space station remain tethered to it for the length of missions in case of emergencies and to finally return their inhabitants to Earth.