Russia's 'final decision' on leaky Soyuz spacecraft at space station to come in January: reports

According to state media, Russian space officials will make a decision in January on whether to allow a leaking Soyuz to carry its crew back to earth.

A working group is looking into the cause of the leak on the International Space Station in December.

The working groups' findings will lead to changes in the station's flight program in January 2023.

There is a hole in the Soyuz's exterior and it's not clear if the spaceship can bring home two cosmonauts and an astronauts. Since Russia can't launch a backup craft until February, the three crew members of the International Space Station may not have a life jacket. The cause is still not known.

There is a hole in a Russian spaceship that is not caused by a meteorite.

The cause was most likely a micrometeoroid or space debris, according to the two agencies. NASA and other space agencies have said that the object that caused the hole is too small to be tracked with current technology.

On December 21, the space station was forced to dodge a Russian rocket stage that was less than a mile away.

The crew of the International Space Station is not in immediate danger from the leak, but they do need to return to Earth in case of other emergencies. The crew members were supposed to come back in March, but a rescue could be ready in February.

Sending the crew members home in a Dragon would require a separate launch and a custom-made space suit for them.

The co-author of Why Am I Taller is Elizabeth Howell. A book about space medicine is in the works. Follow us on social media, like us on Facebook (opens in new tab)