Soyuz MS-22

Launch, orbit & landing data: Designation  22116A Launch date - time  21 Sept 2022 - 13:54:49 UTC- Launch site  Baikonur, LC31/6 Launch vehicle  Soyuz-2.1a (No. S15000-051) Manufacturer  Energia Soyuz designation  11F732A48 nº751 Mass (kg)   kg Docking date - time  21 Sept 2022 - 17:06:34 UTC Target spacecraft/port  ISS/Rassvet? Earth orbit on :    - Perigee / Apogee  416 - 421 km    - Inclination  51.64°    - Period   min Undocking date - time  28 March 2023 - 09:57:27 UTC Deorbit burn date - time   Landing date - time  28 March 2023 - 11:45:58 UTC Landing location   147 km SE of Dzheskasgan Flight Duration (d:hr:min)  187d 21h 51m 09s Nbr orbits  2941 Landing crew  Crew lands with Soyuz MS23

Launched Crew

Launch crew: Rubio, Prokopyev and Petelin.

Backup crew

Backup Crew

Descriptions:

• Soyuz MS-22 is a Russian Soyuz spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) with a crew of three planned for launch from Baikonur on 21 September 2022.

Mission details:

• ISS Expedition 67.
• Following a three hour solo flight Soyuz MS-22 docked at 17:06:34 UTC with the Rassvet module of the International Space Station. Sergei Prokopyev, Dmitri Petelin and Francisco Rubio became Flight Engineers of the Expedition 67.
• Dragon Crew-5 Backup for Soyuz MS-22 Crew Return:
  A micro-meteorite punctured a 0.8 mm diameter (0.031 in) hole in the radiator of Soyuz MS-22, raising doubts over its safety. As a result, it was replaced with Soyuz MS-23, launched uncrewed on February 24, 2023.
  Until the replacement MS-23 docked to ISS, SpaceX Crew-5 was considered among the options to return the MS-22 crew in case of emergency. SpaceX originally designed Crew Dragon to host a crew of seven at a time. The International Space Station mission management team decided to move NASA astronaut Francisco Rubio's Soyuz seat liner from the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft to Dragon Endurance to provide lifeboat capabilities in the event Rubio needed to return to Earth because of an emergency evacuation from the space station. The seat liner was moved on January 17, 2023, with installation and configuration continuing the following day. Seat liners have been swapped between two Soyuz, but this was the first time for Soyuz to Crew Dragon. The change allowed for increased crew protection by reducing the heat load inside the MS-22 spacecraft for cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin in the event of an emergency return to Earth. The SpaceX Crew-6 space capsule is designed to bring back crew serving as an emergency evacuation option after Crew-5.
• As MS-23 arrived at the space station on February 26, Rubio's seat liner was transferred to the new Soyuz on March 6, and the seat liners for Prokopyev and Petelin were moved from MS-22 to MS-23 on March 2 ahead of their return in the Soyuz.

Soyuz rollout. Photo Credit: NASA

Soyuz MS-22 after landing.

Cabine recovery. Photo Credit: NASA

Soyuz cabine recovery.

External links:

• Spacefacts: Soyuz MS-22 mission
• Wikipedia: Soyuz MS-22 mission

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel Baikonur 21.09.2022, registered mail.