Russia launches rescue ship to save NASA astronaut, two cosmonauts after spacecraft leak

Russia has launched an unmanned rescue craft toward the International Space Station to rescue two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut who are stranded aboard.

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin have been stuck on the station since December after a micrometeorite impacted the external radiator of their spacecraft and caused a leak, according to The Hill.

The Soyuz capsule launched from Kazakhstan filled with supplies for the three spacemen. It is expected to dock with the station on Sunday. NASA observers were present at the launch in a rare instance of Russo-American cooperation amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The three aboard the ISS will not depart aboard the Soyuz craft and remain aboard the station until another craft brings their replacements this September. The Russian spacecraft will return to Earth unmanned.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.