There has been very little mass media coverage of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft failing while at the International Space Station. The Soyuz had a severe coolant leak. It had already delivered to Russian and an American astronaut.
Imagine if this was a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked at the Space Station. There would be a lot more coverage. It is difficult to find any info at the NASA site.
The Russian spacecraft failure means that either a backup Soyuz operated by the European Space Agency will need to be used or returning astronauts would have to fly on the SpaceX Dragon.
The Soyuz spacecraft on the International Space Station suffered a severe coolant leak on Dec. 15. A decision about whether it is safe to send the crew back to Earth on it will come in January, Russia has said. If a rescue Soyuz craft is needed it could only come in February, two or three weeks before the normal changeover in March.
NASA is apparently considering using SpaceX, the only company currently flying astronauts into space from American soil, as a backup if these options don’t work out.
The cause of the leak is unknown. The current most likely reason is space debris or a micrometeroid hit the radiator where there is a hole.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
