Saga of Tiny Drill Hole within the ISS Continues as Russia Sends Investigation to Police

The outcomes of a Roscosmos investigation right into a gap within the International Space Station have been handed over to “law enforcement authorities,” Russian state-owned information company RIA Novosti claims. The incident occurred three years in the past, when a leaky drill gap was detected within the Russian Soyuz MS-09 module. Further info wasn’t supplied, and there’s “no official information about the initiation of a criminal case on this matter,” in line with RIA Novosti.

The small drill gap by no means put the ISS in danger, however Russian state media has propagated nasty and seemingly unfounded rumors about its trigger. Earlier this 12 months, Russian state-owned information company TASS alleged that NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor turned psychologically unstable after creating deep vein thrombosis, compelling her to drill a gap within the Soyuz capsule within the hopes of expediting an early return to Earth. Roscosmos hasn’t provided any proof to help this accusation, and NASA is standing by its astronaut.

Now, RIA Novosti claims, along with TASS, {that a} new idea is being revealed by Russian state media: that Auñón-Chancellor drilled the opening “due to suffering [psychologically] after a failed romantic relationship with one of the crew members.” Russia’s latest monitor document with the house station has been shaky to say the least, following a mishap earlier this 12 months that brought about the ISS to roll backwards and its latest anti-satellite weapons take a look at that put the ISS crew in hazard. Speaking to Ars Technica, NASA administrator Bill Nelson said the Russian “attacks are false and lack any credibility.”

The incident dates again to August 2018, when a minor air stress leak was detected on the ISS. The leak was finally traced to a 2-millimeter gap within the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft docked exterior, which was patched with Kapton tape and later with an epoxy-based sealant. Auñón-Chancellor, together with Expedition 56/57 crewmembers Alexander Gerst of ESA and Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos, used the spacecraft to return house on the conclusion of their six-month mission.

An investigation into the opening dominated out a micrometeorite, because the harm got here from contained in the capsule. The most believable clarification appears to be that it occurred throughout the manufacturing course of. Roscosmos director common Dmitry Rogozin says the Russian house company is aware of the true origin of the opening, however it received’t make the data accessible, TASS claims.

“The notion that any astronaut—or cosmonaut—would deliberately drill holes in their spacecraft—especially one designed to take them back to Earth—for any reason—is ludicrous,” Keith Cowing, a former NASA worker and editor of the location NASA Watch, defined in an e mail. “The only plausible explanation is that the damage happened on Earth before [the Soyuz MS-09] was even launched.” To which he added: “Russia is clearly sensitive about the way its chronically underfunded space efforts are portrayed.”

Cowing described Nelson’s denunciation of the Russian claims as “flat,” and he criticized Rogozin for permitting “these conspiracy stories to fester in the Russian media” as a substitute of placing them to a cease.

Relations between Russia and the United States are tense even at the very best of instances, however the ISS was presupposed to be a secure house for these rival nations to cooperate. So unhappy to see it come to this.

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