LAUNCH OF UNCREWED SOYUZ MS-23, Feb 23, 2023, Kazakhstan, 7:24 pm ET

Update, Feburary 21:  The launch is scheduled for February 24 at 3:24 (not 3:34) am Moscow Time, which is February 23 7:24 pm EST. NASA TV will begin coverage at 7:00 pm EST.

Update, February 18: Roscosmos posted on Telegram that the Council of Chief Designers is proposing to the State Commission that the launch take place on February 24 at 3:34 am Moscow Time (February 23, 7:34 pm EST).

Update, February 14: The launch has been postponed until sometime in March. Roscosmos and NASA are trying to determine why the Progress MS-21 cargo spacecraft suffered a loss of all its coolant on February 11, the second coolant leak in a Russian spacecraft docked to ISS in as many months. The first was on Soyuz MS-22 on December 14. They need to be sure there is no design or manufacturing defect common to both spacecraft that could also affect Soyuz MS-23.

Original Entry: Russia will launch the uncrewed Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft on February 19, 2023 at 8:57 pm EST (February 20 UTC and local time at the launch site).  NASA TV coverage begins 8:00 pm EST.

Soyuz MS-23 is not carrying a crew because it is needed to replace the damaged Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft and bring that crew back to Earth. The crew that was to launch on Soyuz MS-23 will wait for Soyuz MS-24 instead, sometime in the fall of 2023.

Soyuz MS-23 will rendezvous and dock with the ISS autonomously on February 21 at 9:49 pm EST (February 22 UTC).  NASA TV coverage begins 9:00 pm EST.

After items like seat liners are moved from Soyuz MS-22 into Soyuz MS-23, Soyuz MS-22 will depart the ISS empty and return to Earth. Russia anticipates that although it is not safe enough to transport crew members, it will land nominally.