Russia says hole in its Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft could be ‘deliberate’, begins inquiry
Dmitry Rogozin, CEO of Roscosmos space corporation, said investigators have ruled out the possibility of meteorite impact.
Russia on Tuesday began an investigation after the head of its space agency said a hole in the International Space Station could be “deliberate spoilage”. Dmitry Rogozin, the chief executive officer of Russia’s Roscosmos space corporation, said the hole in the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft could have been caused “by a faltering hand”, TASS news agency reported.
“We are considering all theories,” he said on Monday. “The one about a meteorite impact has been rejected because the spaceship’s hull was evidently impacted from inside. But it seems to have been done by a faltering hand. It was done by a human hand – there are traces of a drill sliding along the surface.”
Rogozin said the space corporation will find out whether the fracture was the result of an accident or an act of “deliberate spoilage”, and where it was done on Earth or in space. He said the culprit will be identified by name.
A pressure drop was registered on the spacecraft overnight on August 30. Investigations revealed a 2-mm fracture in the hull of Soyuz MS-09. Astronauts used tape to seal the leak, AFP reported.
