In accordance with the flight program of the International Space Station, on March 19, 2021, it is planned to re-dock the Soyuz MS-17 manned transport vehicle from the Rassvet Small Research Module to the Poisk module. The estimated time of the ship’s separation is 19:38 Moscow time, and the autonomous flight will last 29 minutes in advance. It will be performed manually by ISS-64 Expedition Commander Sergei Ryzhikov.
The crew of the Soyuz MS-17 manned spacecraft conducted an onboard training for the operation to be carried out on Friday. Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov, Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, as well as NASA astronaut Kathleen Rubins, together with specialists from the ISS Russian Segment Main Operational Control Team, worked out the re-docking cycle. As part of a three-hour training session, the crew worked out the work stipulated by the cyclogram and checked the condition of the necessary equipment, in step-by-step consultations with the specialists.
Re-docking will be carried out so that the Soyuz MS-18 manned spacecraft, which is scheduled to launch on April 9 this year, docked to the Rassvet module, and the Poisk module itself after undocking the Soyuz MS-17 “could be safely used in terms of countering possible emergency situations for the upcoming spacewalk under the program of the Russian segment of the International Space Station.
Live broadcast of undocking, autonomous flight and return docking will be available on the Roscosmos website from 19:15 Moscow time on March 19, 2021.