Fortunately, we now know the source of the leak in the extra Soyuz Crew Return Vehicle attached to the International Space Station (ISS). However, we do not know the cause of this radiator coolant leak, which creates risk should the capsule be used early next year to bring two cosmonauts and an astronaut back to Earth. Hence, it may be better to bring another capsule up to the ISS for the change in crew and send the damaged one back empty for repairs.
The ISS doesn’t technically have an escape pod. Instead, a Crew Return Vehicle more or less serves this purpose. It has been used more than once to host astronauts and cosmonauts fleeing space junk, so maybe it’s time to think over these procedures again. You would think a $100 billion orbiting space station could ensure the survival of its passengers.
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