December 23, 2024

Astronaut and Cosmonauts Fly Soyuz Crew Ship to New Docking Port on Space Station

By NASA
April 7, 2023

Around 30 minutes previously, the Soyuz MS-23 undocked from the Poisk module on the space-facing side of the complex with the three crew members aboard. He was strapped into the descent module of the Soyuz with Petelin seated to his left and Rubio to his. The Roscosmos Soyuz MS-23 undocked from the Poisk module on the International Space Station and moved for a docking to the Prichal module on April 6. Aboard the Soyuz for the short flight were NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Dimitri Petelin and Soyuz leader Sergey Prokopyev.

This was the 26th spacecraft relocation in space station history. The relocation includes the arrival of the uncrewed Roscosmos Progress 84 cargo spacecraft later on this year and releases the Poisk airlock for the upcoming Roscosmos spacewalks in April and May.
The Soyuz MS-23 team ship with three Expedition 69 crewmates aboard is pictured soon after docking to the Prichal docking module. Credit: NASA TV
Rubio, Prokopyev, and Petelin are scheduled to go back to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft upon undocking on September 27.

The Soyuz MS-23 crew ship docking to the Prichal module on the Earth-facing side of the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV
The Soyuz MS-23, with Expedition 69 team members Frank Rubio of NASA, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin aboard, has effectively docked to the Prichal module on the Earth-facing side of the International Space Station on April 6, 2023, at 5:22 a.m. EDT.
The Soyuz MS-23 crew ship gradually backs away from the station carrying three Expedition 69 crewmates to a new docking port. Credit: NASA TELEVISION
Around 30 minutes previously, the Soyuz MS-23 undocked from the Poisk module on the space-facing side of the complex with the three crew members aboard. Prokopyev, the Soyuz leader, by hand flew the spacecraft far from Poisk for its redocking to Prichal. He was strapped into the descent module of the Soyuz with Petelin seated to his left and Rubio to his right. They effectively flew around the ISS and made their method to redock to the Prichal module on the Earth-facing side of the station.
The Roscosmos Soyuz MS-23 undocked from the Poisk module on the International Space Station and moved for a docking to the Prichal module on April 6. Aboard the Soyuz for the quick flight were NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Dimitri Petelin and Soyuz leader Sergey Prokopyev. The maneuver opened the Poisk docking port for the arrival of the Progress 84 resupply car that will launch later this spring. MS-23 introduced uncrewed on February 24 to replace the broken Soyuz MS-22 which returned and undocked to Earth on March 28. Credit: NASA