NASA is already considering rescuing astronauts stranded on the International Space Station with the help of SpaceX, after a leak in a Russian capsule: report

NASA is considering when it’s time to “rescue” the three crew members on the ship International Space Station Using the SpaceX Dragon capsuleafter the Soyuz ship, where they will return once their mission is complete Suffered from a coolant leak on December 15th.

Since Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, said it would not take it Decision until January On whether it is safe to use the capsule to re-enter Earth, and since the next spacecraft could arrive until February, NASA Consider another alternative In the event that neither of these two options bears fruit.

according to ReutersNASA didSeveral questions to SpaceX regarding its ability to field additional crew members with the Dragon if neededNASA spokeswoman Sandra Jones said It wasn’t his main focus at that moment.

Yes in deed , Reuters Details It’s not clear if NASA specifically asked to know the capabilities of Crew Dragon, if the company could increase the capacity of the capsule currently attached to the station (called Endeavor) or Your chances of unlocking a new empty vehicle Crew rescue mechanism.

Endeavor seats are already takenbringing home Crew-5 in early 2023, including NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Kasada, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos astronaut Anna Kikina.

In the case of the damaged Soyuz, His name is MS-22It will carry Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petlin and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, all wearing Russian Sokol spacesuits, and it will be an additional problem since SpaceX only launches crew members. Equipped with a company suit Made to size.

Sokol’s Russian spacesuit (left) and SpaceX Starman’s suits (right)

Potential Danger of No Capsules Working 100%

At present, the origin of the leak in the MS-22 capsule has not yet been determined, although possible causes continue to be considered. Some space debrisAnd the small meteorite It can not be tracked because of the small size or Even a malfunction in the ship’s hardware itself.

Although this does not pose an immediate danger to the crew aboard the International Space Station, represents an imminent risk Should the facility be evacuated for any reason, three people would be left without the possibility of a safe journey back to Earth.