MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th September, 2018) The special commission formed by the Russian Energia Rocket and Space Corporation believes that the hole in the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the International Space Station (ISS) was made during the spacecraft's construction in the city of Korolyov, not at the Baikonur spacecraft or in the space, sources in the space and rocket industry told Sputnik.
Last week, Roscosmos Space Corporation head Dmitry Rogozin said an air leak and subsequent drop in pressure occurred at the Soyuz spacecraft docked to the ISS. The ISS crew managed to cope with the problem. On Monday, Rogozin told reporters that the special commission was checking whether there was a deliberate drill impact on the Soyuz spacecraft's skin.
"The commission, which continues to investigate causes of the incident, tends to believe that the hole in the habitation module of the Soyuz spacecraft was made during construction of the spacecraft in the assembling facility," one of the sources said.
Another source pointed out that some employees of the Energia corporation's plant were aware of the hole as the latter was filled with special glue.
The third source noted that the hole could not have been drilled when the spacecraft was docked to the ISS as such works could not have been made without a special procedure involving many experts.
"If there is a need for such works, a special technical solution is prepared in coordination with the head office. The document gathers a number of signatures ... Of course, one can assume that someone could drill the spacecraft at Baikonur but that is, in fact, very difficult because ... the spacecraft is under permanent supervision," the source added.
Shortly after the air leak Roscosmos said that the incident may have be caused by a meteorite but the version was soon rejected.
