New Soyuz will launch in February to replace leaking ISS spacecraft

In February of this year, a new Soyuz spacecraft will be launching to the International Space Station (ISS) to replace the current Soyuz vehicle that has been experiencing leaks. The Soyuz is a spacecraft that is used to transport astronauts and cargo to and from the ISS, and has been an essential component of the ISS program since the station's inception. The current Soyuz spacecraft, designated Soyuz MS-09, was launched to the ISS in June 2018 and has been in use for over two and a half years. During that time, it has been used for a total of four manned missions and several cargo missions. However, in August 2018, a small leak was discovered in the spacecraft's habitation module, which is used by the astronauts for living and working. Despite efforts to fix the leak, it has continued to be a problem, and the decision was made to replace the spacecraft with a new one. The new Soyuz spacecraft, designated Soyuz MS-17, will be launched from the B-A I-K O N U R C O S M O D R O ...