In September, the Soyuz spacecraft transported American Frank Rubio, and Russians Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin to the International Space Station (ISS).
Unfortunately, on December 15, the spacecraft suffered a serious leak where the coolant sprays out from the Russian capsule. Because of this, the three astronauts have no ride back to Earth.
Now, Digital Trends reported that NASA is speaking with SpaceX regarding the possibility of using a Crew Dragon spacecraft to rescue the three astronauts who are stuck at ISS.
Roscosmos is Currently Investigating the Cause of the Soyuz Leak
According to Space.com, NASA is exploring the chances of whether SpaceX's spacecraft can be potentially used as an alternative ride home for the stranded crew members.
Meanwhile, the Russian space agency Roscosmos is currently investigating the cause of the leak. Likewise, they are looking at the extent of the damage.
Russia said that a decision regarding whether it is safe to send the crew back to Earth on the Soyuz spacecraft will come in January.
In case a rescue Soyuz spacecraft will be needed, it could only come in February. This is two or three weeks prior to the normal changeover in March.
Roscosmos is finding means how to get the three crew members home on or before their scheduled departure date in March.
Given the scenario, NASA is considering using SpaceX's spacecraft, the only rocket company currently flying astronauts into space from American soil, as a possible alternative if the other options will not work out.
In a statement to Reuters, NASA spokesperson Sandra Jones said that they have asked SpaceX a few questions regarding their capability to bring home additional crew members on Dragon if necessary.
But Jones added that currently, it is not the agency's prime focus. Meanwhile, SpaceX did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
Read Also: Russian Spacecraft Soyuz Docks To ISS Due To Leaky 0.8 Millimetre Hole
Crew Members Stuck at ISS are in No Immediate Danger
NASA did not discuss the possible options with SpaceX. The agency did not clarify whether the company could launch an alternative Crew Dragon spacecraft to pick up the crew members or add more seats to the existing Dragon (the Endeavor), which is docked at the space station.
Normally, all seats on Endeavour are full, since the spacecraft is supposed to bring home Crew-5 in early 2023. Among these crew members are NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina.
As of writing, the cause of the coolant leak on Soyuz MS-22 has not yet been determined.
However, according to Space.com, it could possibly originate from space debris or a micrometeroid that the spacecraft failed to track due to its small size.
Based on the follow-up scans of the Soyuz spacecraft, a hole was seen in its radiator exterior.
As of the time being, the three crew members are in no immediate danger from the situation. However, the concern comes in case the complex had to be evacuated for whatever reason.
Currently, both NASA and Roscosmos want to resolve the issue as soon as possible, since currently, the ISS has only one emergency escape route.
Related Article: NASA, Roscosmos To Determine if Damaged Soyuz Spacecraft Can Undergo Re-Entry
