Russian Conspiracy Mongering In Space (Update)
NASA, Roscosmos Statement on International Space Station Leak
“NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and Roscosmos General Director Dmitry Rogozin met for the first time yesterday via teleconference to discuss the status of International Space Station (ISS) operations in response to a request from Roscosmos. “As part of their discussion, Dmitry Rogozin informed his American counterpart about Roscosmos’ decision to establish a Roscosmos-led Commission to investigate the cause of the leak in the Soyuz (MS-09/55S) spacecraft currently docked to the station.”
Russian theory that NASA sabotaged the space station spreading like wildfire, Ars Technica
“A growing number of Russian publications have been putting forth an absurd new theory–that a NASA astronaut deliberately caused the leak on board the station in order to force the evacuation of a sick crew member. The story has spread like wildfire during the last 24 hours, according to Robinson Mitchell, who translates Russian space stories for Ars.”
I find the theory that the hole was drilled in the factory to be far more credible than the theory that someone on ISS did it.
I think that this theory reflects a dis-proportionally large risk/cost vs alleged motive.
The Russians have more access to that module the the U.S. and their Government want to end their involvement in the ISS.
However, I don’t think that anyone on the station is capable of this. I think any astronaut or Cosmonaut would know exactly what sized hole it would take to force an evac without risking the loss of the spacecraft (ISS or Soyuz) and/or crew.
I think that a person who could be one of the people who could die would not be the one behind the drill.
Oh oh also-
A Ukrainian fighter jet shot down the civilian airliner over eastern Ukraine that killed 298 people.
The UK poisoned the Skripals. Must be a false flag operation.
The UK also ordered that chemical attack in Syria, another false flag. We have proof (which we won’t actually show you, and we also won’t let international chemical weapons observers in).
Those aren’t Russian military soldiers all over Crimea, oh wait, yes they were, we lied this once.
Also, I’ll just say a blanket statement here – we also didn’t murder or try to murder corruption-exposing journalist A, accountant B, opposition politician C, former spy D, etc. (fill in the blank)
yep yep yep
Anyway, didn’t someone from Energia already say they identified the person that created the hole, covered it up, and didn’t report it?
I am waiting for the next theory, that it was space aliens that want the ISS to be abandoned and humans to stay out of space 🙂
Another comment already mentioned the “little green men” who appeared in Crimea in 2014.
Again. A manufacturing defect by a failing spaceflight industry is very embarrassing. The shape they are currently in already risks the future of their spaceflight industry and all of their investments in heavy-lift rocket development and the like.
Under those circumstances, it is far easier to blame sabotage, if only to cast a little doubt on their own growing quality control problems. Until addressed, the fruits of those problems will only get worse and in ways that can’t be blamed on NASA Astronauts.
I think that they are looking for similar issues with units under construction on the ground, and will go over that capsule very carefully when it returns home. If they find even one similar “repair” on an un-launched unit, this problem will get fixed privately even as they continue to forward this ridiculous theory publicly.
Did I mention that I don’t trust Rogozin to tell the truth about this anyway?
except that part of the Soyuz won’t be returning to Earth in any kind of form that would allow it to be inspected. Or even found.
except that until we know the root cause of the manufacturing defect on that part of Soyuz, we really can’t be completely sure there isn’t a duplicate of it somewhere more critical to reentry. They’ll be wearing spacesuits for that though, so that’s something.
And I thought I was the one with the “careful soul and troubled heart.” Just to make it worse, will anyone really want to launch another Soyuz before they know the root cause of this problem? It could have been vandalized as well, and that next launch needs to happen before the one on orbit returns. (I think; they have two up there, so there is some flexibility.)
I’m still waiting on the whole story as to why Jeanette Epps was deemed unsat to fly….
Update today:
Officially they are now downplaying the rumors and criticizing their news media for speculating.
There are folks over there who don’t want any form of close relations with the U.S. …some of whom have more money than they have brains. Some of those folks may have been fanning the flames.
Good sense seems to have prevailed.