The head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, suspected astronauts of deliberate damage to the Soyuz MS-09 skin, which caused air leakage from the ship. About it reports RIA Novosti. Earlier, the same publication wrote that this emergency situation arose due to a manufacturing defect, citing its own sources in the leadership of the Russian space industry.
A source familiar with the situation told reporters that as a result of the internal investigation, a specific culprit was identified. It is curious that the worker who made the marriage noticed a defect, but did not inform the management about the problem. He just patched the hole with glue. Therefore, the hole was not detected during the inspection before launching, it did not cause any troubles for the first two months of the ship’s operation. But then the glue cracked, and the air leak began.
Recall that a crack in the hull of the Soyuz MS-09 ship was discovered on August 30, experts initially believed that it was formed as a result of a micrometeorite hit. The next day, the Russian cosmonauts eliminated the defect with a special sealant.
Why does Rogozin have doubts?
An air leak on the International Space Station was detected on 30 August. The crew carefully checked all the compartments and rooms and, eventually, found the cause of the emergency - it was a microcrack in the Soyuz MS-09 building. The defect was located in the household compartment, and not in the descent vehicle, otherwise it would threaten the cosmonauts with inevitable death upon returning to Earth. Representatives of the US agency NASA confirmed the information about the damage of the "Union", which docked with the station in June of this year.
Fortunately, none of the astronauts was hurt, and the hole was sealed with a special sealant.
The initial "culprit" of the crack was considered micrometeorite, but later it turned out that everything is not so simple. The Energia corporation started an internal investigation on this matter, later Roscosmos and TsNIImash specialists joined it.
According to Rogozin, in the course of the investigative measures, a "clear effect on the upholstery of the ship from the inside" was revealed. "There are several attempts to impact a drill, the failure of the drill. A very interesting story, we find out," an official told reporters.
Further more. The head of "Roscosmos" stated the following: "The earth version is being checked. But there is another version that we do not dismiss, a deliberate effect in space. There are several attempts at a drill. Where were these actions? On Earth or already in orbit?"
In general, a comprehensive investigation is, of course, always good. But to drill a hole in the hull of your own ship in orbit is too extravagant way to suicide. It is unlikely that people with an unbalanced psyche and suicidal tendencies get into Russian cosmonauts. Surprisingly, American crew members of the ISS were not suspected of such a diversion. However, the main thing in this story is that everything went well: without sacrifices and material costs.
Earlier in the "Roskosmos" stated that the achievements of Ilon Mask are based on Soviet developments. This was announced by Deputy Director General of TsNIIMash Alexander Medvedev, who is considered one of the creators and ideologists of Angara. According to him, all the schemes that Mask is using now, many decades ago were proposed and reviewed by Russian scientists. "... All these rocket-dynamic, parachute schemes, in fact, were born in our country, and then the Americans successfully implemented all of them," Medvedev said during one of the scientific conferences.
