--- title: "Another Russian Spacecraft Docked to the ISS Just Sprang a Leak" description: "A second Russian spacecraft docked to the International Space Station has sprung a leak in one of its coolant lines in just a matter of months." date: "2023-02-13" modified: "2023-02-14" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/another-russian-spacecraft-docked-iss-leak" categories: - "International Space Station" - "NASA" - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "Roscosmos" - "Russia" - "soyuz" - "the digest" --- # Another Russian Spacecraft Docked to the ISS Just Sprang a Leak ![A second Russian spacecraft docked to the International Space Station has sprung a leak in one of its coolant lines in just a matter of months.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Leaks on Leaks A second Russian spacecraft docked to the International Space Station has sprung a leak in one of its coolant lines, in just a matter of months — the latest episode of chaos, in other words, in Russia's increasingly battered space program. The latest leak occurred over the weekend, causing a "depressurization" in a cargo spacecraft dubbed Progress MS-21, according to a [statement]() by the Russian space agency Rosocosmos. Crew on board the ISS weren't in any danger, [according to NASA](). The agency also noted that "the hatches between the Progress 82 and the station are open, and temperatures and pressures aboard the station are all normal," despite the coolant system leak ## Keeping Coolant That it's the second leak of its kind in a matter of months, on a separate spacecraft, seems on its face to be an extraordinary coincidence. The leak comes just under two months after a different Russian spacecraft docked to the station, the Soyuz MS-22, [started spraying coolant]() into space in a strikingly similar incident. Both Russian and NASA officials have said the December leak was likely the result of a micrometeorite impact, but the cause of the second remains unclear. ## More Questions That's all to say that we have more questions than answers. Roscosmos has remained extremely vague and hasn't elaborated on a possible cause. The cargo spacecraft was scheduled to undock from the station on Friday to eventually burn up in the atmosphere, along with a bunch of trash stored inside it — which means engineers likely won't have the chance to examine the craft more closely after the fact, as [*Space.com* points out](). For now, we'll have to wait and see if Rosocosmos and NASA decide to postpone MS-21's departure. **READ MORE:** [Progress cargo spacecraft at ISS suffers coolant leak]() \[*SpaceNews*\] **More on leaks:** *[Russian Spacecraft Docked to ISS Sprays Fluid Into Space]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()