On January 19, 2022, Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov performed the extra vehicle activities (EVA – spacewalk) to prepare the new Russian “Prichal” module for the arrival of the next Soyuz crew spacecraft. The EVA lasted 7 hours and 11 minutes. It was the 3^rd EVA for Anton Shkaplerov and the 4^th EVA for Pyotr Dubrov. It was the 155^th EVA performed by cosmonauts in Soviet/Russian spacesuits since Match 1965.

On December 28, 2021 American astronaut Michael Clifford passed away. He died from complications of Parkinson's, at the age of 69.

On December 26, 2021 Chinese cosmonauts Zhai Zhigang and Ye Guangfu performed the spacewalk to deploy the external camera platform "C" outside the core module and various object translation test objectives. The EVA lasted 6 hours and 11 minutes. It was the 3^rd spacewalk for Zhai Zhigang and the 1^st spacewalk for Ye Guangfu. The spacewalk was the 5^th extravehicular activity in the history of China’s space program.

On December23, 2021 at 02:03 Moscow time the propulsion section of the “Progress M-UM” unmanned supply spacecraft was undocked from the International Space Station. At the same day, the propulsion section was deorbited. Non-burnt fragments of the “Progress M-UM” propulsion section drowned in the remote area of the Pacific at 07:30 Moscow time. The undocking of the propulsion section revealed the Prichal's nadir docking port for future Russian spacecraft. “Prichal” is a new nodal module (the spherical, ball-shaped docking node) that has a pressurized spherical ball-shaped design with six hybrid docking ports.

On December 22, 2021 at 08:42 UTC, the private U.S. unmanned supply spacecraft, the "Dragon” SpX-24 (CRS-24 flight), was successfully docked to the International Space Station. It was the new generation of Dragon cargo spacecraft also known SpaceX Dragon 2 or Cargo Dragon 2. It was the 4^th SpaceX cargo vehicle that automatically docked to the space station without being captured by the Canadarm. This docking marked the 24^th time a Dragon cargo spaceship has reached the space station, counting a demonstration flight in 2012 as well as the 4^th time for the cargo version of the SpaceX Dragon-2 (Cargo Dragon-2).

On December 21, 2021 at 10:07 UTC the "Falcon 9” rocket-carrier was launched from LC-39A of the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA. The launch was performed by the "SpaceX” private company supported by the 45th Space Wing of US Air Force. US private company SpaceX launched its "Dragon” (CRS-24 flight also known as SpX-24) unmanned spacecraft on a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. CRS means Commercial Resupply Services. It is the 25^th successful flight of a “Dragon” spacecraft and the 24^th successful flight of a “Dragon” cargo spacecraft to the ISS. It was the 4^th flight for SpaceX under NASA's CRS Phase 2 contract awarded in January 2016. It was the 4^th launch of the new generation of Dragon cargo capsules also known SpaceX Dragon 2 ... Read more »

On December 20, 2021 at 03:13 UTC the Russian “Soyuz MS-20” landing capsule landed safely in Kazakhstan, 148 km at the southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan. The spacecraft delivered to Earth 3 persons – Commander, Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Misurkin as well as 2 spaceflight-participants from Japan, Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano. They spent in space 11 days, 19 hours and 35 minutes. Seven other ISS crew members – Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov; US astronauts Mark Vande Hei, Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn and Kayla Barron as well as German astronaut Matthias Maurer remained in orbit aboard the International Space Station as the Expedition 66 crew.

On December 20, 2021 at 02:50 Moscow time, the Russian “Soyuz MS-20” spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station to deliver to Earth 3 persons – Commander, Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Misurkin as well as 2 spaceflight-participants from Japan, Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano.

On December 15, 2021, the US "Cygnus” CRS-16 (NG-16, the S. S. Ellison Onizuka) unmanned supply spacecraft was deorbited.

On December 8, 2021 at 13:40 UTC, the Russian "Soyuz MS-20” spacecraft docked with the Russian “Poisk” module of the International Space Station. The spacecraft delivered 3 crew members to the ISS - Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Misurkin as well as 2 spaceflight-participants from Japan, Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano. Unlike previous Soyuz flights to the ISS, “Soyuz MS-20” did not deliver any crew members for an ISS Expedition or serve as a lifeboat for any crew members on board the station. Instead, it was commanded by a single professional cosmonaut and carried two space tourists. The new comers joined current ISS Expedition 66 members – Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov; US astronauts Mark Vande Hei, Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn and Kayla Barron as well as German astronaut Matthias Maurer. Aleksandr ... Read more »