Roscosmos Accuses NASA Astronauts Of Hollowing Russian Compartments On ISS, Lawsuits Prepared

Illustration of US astronauts working on the ISS Space Station. (photo: doc, NASA via Unsplash)

JAKARTA - In 2018, astronauts on the International Space Station installed a 2mm "hole" in the Soyuz MS-09 vehicle that had docked with the station in June of that year.

While the pressure leak never posed an immediate threat to those on board, it did trigger a strange turn of events that led Russia to open an investigation to find out if the incident was the result of sabotage.

According to the RIA Novosti article discovered by Ars Technica and reported by Engadget, the country's space agency Roscosmos recently completed its investigation into the incident and sent the results to Russian law enforcement officials.

Roscosmos, opened the door for them to announce criminal charges. Roscosmos has said nothing officially about the cause of this pressure leak, but that hasn't stopped the Russian media from spreading misinformation.

The RIA Novosti article refers to Russian media reports alleging the hole may have been drilled by NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor, a member of the ISS crew at the time of the incident. In particular, according to Russia's TASS news agency, the country's Izvestia newspaper claimed that Aunon-Chancellor may have drilled the hole due to "a desire to return to Earth due to a blood clot or a fight with him on the International Space Station." Citing its own sources, TASS claims "the hole had been weightlessly drilled by someone unfamiliar with spacecraft design."

According to NASA, the possibility of its astronauts being involved in creating the pressure leak does not exist. As Ars Technica notes, NASA knew the locations of all of its astronauts before the leak started and when it started.

None of the US astronauts on the ISS at the time of the incident were near the Russian compartment where the Soyuz was anchored when the air leak began. The US shared this information with Russia when Roscosmos began its investigation in 2018.

"This attack is false and has no credibility," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told the outlet as quoted by Engadget. "I fully support Serena and stand behind all of our astronauts." We have contacted NASA for additional information.

The accusations come at a time when relations between NASA and Roscosmos are already heating up. On November 15, Russia conducted a test of an anti-satellite missile that created a debris field that forced astronauts on the ISS to seek cover aboard their spacecraft.

The US condemned the trial, accusing it of putting everyone on the ISS, including Russian cosmonauts, in danger.