The International Space Station is one of the few areas of Russian-American cooperation that remains unchanged due to diplomatic ties
On September 4, active checks began in Russia after the head of the space agency announced that the air leak on the ISS last week could have been caused by deliberate sabotage. Dmitry Rogozin said that a hole found on Thursday in a Russian spacecraft docked with the station could have come from a drill used by someone consciously on Earth or in space.
The astronauts used tape to seal the leak after it resulted in a small loss of pressure that did not threaten life. In television commentary, Rogozin announced several attempts at drilling, and the drill was held by an oscillating hand. “What is it: a manufacturing defect or deliberate action?” He asked. Rogozin says the commission will try to figure out the culprit. He considers this a matter of honor for the Russian space production company Energia, which made the Union. Previously, Rogozin stated that he considers the blow from outside as a tiny meteorite. But on September 3, he ruled out this version. The hole is on the site of the Soyuz ship, which will not be used to return crew members to Earth.
Energia plans to test all Soyuz and Progress cargo ships for possible defects, both at the production site and at the Baikonur cosmodrome (Kazakhstan). The ISS is one of the few areas of Russian-American cooperation that was not affected by the sanctions. Now the station has two Russian astronauts, three American astronauts and one German from ESA.
