MS-09 leak on ISS

[DocM]

And here comes the finger-pointing,

 

https://phys.org/news/2018-09-russia-space-station-leak-deliberate.html

 

Quote

Russia says space station leak could be deliberate sabotage

 

Russia launched checks Tuesday after its space chief said an air leak on the International Space Station last week could have been deliberate sabotage.

Space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin said the hole detected Thursday in a Russian space craft docked at the orbiting station was caused by a drill and could have been done deliberately, either back on Earth or by astronauts in space.

Astronauts used tape to seal the leak after it caused a small loss of pressure that was not life-threatening.

"There were several attempts at drilling," Rogozin said late Monday in televised comments.

He added that the drill appeared to have been held by a "wavering hand." 

"What is this: a production defect or some premeditated actions?" he asked.

"We  are checking the Earth version. But there is another version that we do not rule out: deliberate interference in space."

A commission will seek to identify the culprit by name, Rogozin said, calling this a "matter of honour" for Russia's Energiya space manufacturing company that made the Soyuz.
>
>

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

The finger pointing is absolute silliness...we know who said it....yet I am surprised that "certain media outlets" have run this garbage.

 

There are a few tidbits though...needs to be verified...

 

Quote

MOSCOW, September 4. /TASS/. The hull of the manned spacecraft Soyuz MS-09 was damaged on the ground, most probably, at the industrial plant that made it (space rocket corporation Energia), because drilling the hole on board the ISS in a situation of zero gravity would hardly possible, if at all, a member of the K.E. Tsiolkovsky Russian Academy of Cosmonautics, Alexander Zheleznyakov, told TASS.
 

 http://tass.com/science/1019884

 

 

Quote

“The hole was made on the ground. The person responsible for the act of negligence has been identified,” the source told the news agency.

Another source said a worker apparently accidentally drilled the hole, but instead of reporting it, simply sealed it. The sealant held for at least the two months the Soyuz spacecraft spent in orbit, before finally drying up and being pushed out of the hole by air pressure.

According to a Moskovsky Komsomolets report, the hole was located near the toilet and covered by decorative fabric. The Russian crew members used an epoxy-based sealant with metallic additives to plug both the hole and a fracture in the outer hull of the Soyuz located behind it, the newspaper said.

"bolding mine"

 

https://www.rt.com/news/437522-soyuz-air-leak-blunder/

 

//

 

An inspection of all craft in production will be carried out...

 

Quote

MOSCOW, September 4 (Itar-Tass) - RIA Novosti. The Rocket and Space Corporation Energia will check all the ships Soyuz and Progress, which are located in Baikonur and in the Moscow region of the Korolev. This was reported by RIA Novosti source in the rocket and space industry.

Quote

According to him, the management of the corporation came to such a decision after the emergency with an air leak on the "Union-MS-09" docked to the ISS. All ships will be inspected for traces of the drill.

 

Check in the Queen starts in the coming days. At Baikonur, the events will begin next week. There are now three vehicles: "Union of MS-11", which will launch in December, the "Union of MS-10" and cargo "Progress MS-10", which is scheduled to start in October.

 

At the same time, the RSC Energia continues to collect ships, which will be launched in 2019. Already in mid-September, the production of the cargo "Progress MS-11", which will be sent to the ISS on February 7, will be completed.

https://ria.ru/science/20180904/1527771626.html

 

//

 

Interesting points...

 

1)  If the plug is found, the composition will show that the material is probably not available on ISS.

 

2) The ISS has atmospheric composition sensors which would have picked up the outgassing of the plug material during the curing process.

 

3) The location is difficult to reach and is covered by "cloth" material.

 

4) Drilling in orbit is not taken lightly due to the particles getting everywhere unless somehow contained...aluminium in the case (white surface ).

 

5) Hanlons Razor...."Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."  Which begs the next question...how did this individual know what material to use, did they ask someone of knowledge...hence more than one involved.

 

6) This glue/sealant survived the stress of launch and 3 months in orbit.......I need to know the brand....take my money, I want a tube!

 

Leak is holding fine on MS-09

//

 

Now I have that Beach Boys tune stuck in my head........" She's real fine...my leak on ms 09"

 

I think it's time to sign off.......

Edited September 5, 2018 by Draggendrop

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Just a few bits of data....

 

Pre repair area  (rotate 180 to match with repaired image)

 

 

Post repair area

 

 

OM wall construction

 

Update and comment....

 

As we recall, Rogozin created the media mess by attempting to deflect blame with the implication that the damage "could" have been done in space. This resulted in various entities stating the unlikelihood of this happening and that the main culprit was assembly operations. After numerous articles calling him out....we have this...

 

Quote

Roskosmos. Announcement

09/05/2018 11:20

Roskosmos requests that media representatives refrain from publishing unverified information received from anonymous sources on the results of the work of the commission for investigation of an abnormal situation that arose on board the transport manned spacecraft Soyuz MS-09, which is part of the International Space Station.

 

The work of the commission will be completed in mid-September, its findings will be submitted to the State Corporation Roskosmos, then measures will be defined to prevent such situations. Roskosmos emphasizes that references to so-called "sources in the rocket and space industry", reporting various "versions" of the investigation, are a way of manipulating information and influencing the work of the commission's representatives.

 

Roskosmos recommends that Russian and foreign media refrain from publishing various versions referring to anonymous sources before the commission's conclusion.

https://www.roscosmos.ru/25477/

 

This deserves this....

 

My opinion of events to date...

 

Matters such as these are usually handled internally and correct information is released when applicable.

 

There has been numerous irregularities with this event.

 

1) ISS commanders audible comments about internal issues were "out in the wild". This also exposed friction between agencies.

 

2) NASA PAO (public affairs) not scrutinizing data and releasing obvious irregularities which includes the "Space to Ground" segment video. This data in turn fed the MSM frenzie....with Rogozins assistance. This has happened a few times of late...could it be staff turnovers?

 

3) Rogozin....self explanatory....changes foot in mouth and alienates the cosmonaut core, ISS astronauts and Roscosmos vendors...well done.

 

4) ISS minor leak sensationalized.

 

5) Very serious QA/QC problem exposed...This must be dealt with.

 

6) Mid September commission report completion date. From various sources, they already know the person(s) responsible, will they throw a few others under the bus.

 

7) The main leak repair kit was not found and the resin kit used instead. There has been a number of "misplaced items" on the various expeditions of late...time to do a proper inventory....at least for critical items...things like maybe...leak kits! 

Will continue to monitor...

[DocM]

"will they throw a few others under the bus."

 

Hopefully, starting with Rogozin. His demotion from Deputy PM to Roscosmos indicates he's already on thin ice.

 

My late father-in-law, a very crusty WW-2/Korean War Marine, could be quite colorful describing incidents like this. Little of it would pass the Neowin text filters.

Edited September 6, 2018 by DocM

[Unobscured Vision]

Explains why the Dean herself was telling us "no further public discussion, extrapolation, summation, or any other inflammatory talk on this subject matter going forward" and ITAR'ed the whole thing on our end. It'd just make things worse.

[DocM]

Won't matter. Rogozin's kind will go off the deep end anyhow.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Nothing to note today other than the completion of a scheduled ISS orbital boost.

 

9 hours ago, Unobscured Vision said:

Explains why the Dean herself was telling us "no further public discussion, extrapolation, summation, or any other inflammatory talk on this subject matter going forward" and ITAR'ed the whole thing on our end. It'd just make things worse.

 

I woke up this morning, read this while having a coffee.....then decided to not post till I got back from my appointment ....prevents me from going somewhat ballistic at the situation you have been placed in. Please heed this advice since I want you to enjoy your program and be successful in your studies. 

 

There is so much wrong with this, it is difficult where to start...

 

Is there some way that the statement to the students was misinterpreted?

 

I will put this in context so that you understand why this is troublesome.
 
1) First off, I assume that a "Dean", is similar to a Canadian University "Dean", which, as an example, is the "manager" for an entire University Engineering Program. A "Chair", for us, would be the professor in charge of, as an example, the Electrical Engineering Program. We also have Federal/Provincial "Chairs"...a University professor selected by government to head a particular research initiative and manage the allotted funding.

 

2) We, as many other countries do, possess "free speech" as a right and use accordingly. Any "questionable incitement" will usually be frowned on, and will be dealt with in a Canadian University. Any form of censorship will be addressed immediately. A few professors have lost their job, this past year, due to these two points.

 

3) Canada, as a member of NATO, is bound by it's policies, which for Canada, entails various measures included in policies such as the "Security of Information Act" which replaced the "Official Secrets Act" after 9/11. This is basically reinforced security measures. An example may help here, so I will use CSA (Canadian Space Agency) and the ISS partnership. The ISS daily report is an example where the general public can be kept up to date on activities. A Canadian experiment or equipment will have general information or data sets released to the public. Sensitive information and proprietary data are protected as expected. All members of NATO practise this.

 

4) In Canada,a government body or corporate venture may fund a research initiative through a university.This will generally encompass research in a particular area of a field. This information is usually limited in scope, proprietary and managed by the chair. Undergraduates (working on their Masters degree) may be selected for the research, and the information of which they are given will be that what is needed for completion of the project. Nothing usually gets released until "papers" describe methodologies are released or the government body/corporate venture deems certain information/data fit for general consumption, such as local newspaper articles.

Now to the point....could the message have been misinterpreted....I really hope so...

 

A) This issue would have been of no concern to the Dean and therefore have no basis for the request of silence.

 

B) The request itself is a violation of your right to free speech.

 

C) The university would have no knowledge of the event other than what is in the media. 

 

D) If the university is working on a project, that information is already protected by those working on the project.

 

E) A student working toward an engineering degree is a general student in a program with no requirement for protected information. This is particularly applicable due to the high rate of program dropout in engineering over that 4 year period.

 

F) If the student is in possession of protected information...someone is responsible for a breach and we know how serious that is.

 

G) A university body is small in comparison to the numbers of the general public and the power of the MSM. The MSN interpreting information and those who present false, misleading and protected data are the main culprits.

 

H) A Professional Engineer will sign many documents related to oath, nda's etc and they take this matter seriously. The law demands it. Most professors teaching in Canadian universities are accredited professionals...I recommend talking to an accredited US Professional Engineer for questions related to US structure as I am a foreigner in this regard.

 

In summary...You are a student embarking on a very exciting time in your life and I am rooting for your success. At the same time, know your rights, enforce them but most importantly...steer clear of any situation where you may be compromised. Breached information is very serious with possible career and legal implications.

 

Hope that helps...
Draggendrop

[Unobscured Vision]

I completely understand all of the above and I agree, but I understand why it goes the way it does.

 

I think what the Dean of my College is concerned about is anyone in the Student Body saying something that upsets a Corporate or Government Partner. Universities can be very susceptible to politics, and I'm under the impression that much like when someone is in the Military and is working with Contractors they have to be careful with what they say and do in order to maintain decorum. Likewise with the Colleges and Universities that do a lot of the hardcore R&D and the specialized education that these Corporate & Government Partners have come to rely on. There's a "heavy-handed politicking" that comes with it, a certain degree of "please refrain from this" and "please ask your students to work within these guidelines" that School Administrations must work within or else those Partners will find other schools who'll cooperate.

 

More serious breaches, like ITAR violations, can and will see a school shut down if serious enough.

 

It's pretty much a given that Administration will comply with those "requests" rather than lose funding and recruiting avenues.

 

That's the short of it.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

I think you may have missed the point.

 

The Dean has no business addressing the "general student body "due to freedom of speech issues and because they will not have any sensitive information anyway. Any research will be done by a chair and undergraduates at a minimum and they are bound by agreement. The chair is a professional and will need not be reminded of agreements.

 

Frankly, no one cares what students say. Students protest and are capable of dumb stuff all the time.

 

I disagree with the vendors doing their "hard core" R&D, as you call it. University chairs will be given projects to work on and generally will have no idea how and if it will even be used. Important vendor work will be done in house by experienced certified engineers on their payroll. Universities may take on larger programs for government entities, but these are also well locked down and generally available only to top tier institutions.

 

When you graduate, you will have a degree. That is only the start of your adventure. Time in will take you from junior up the ladder with the increased knowledge of management and the broader scope of interactions.

 

Bottom line, a student working towards their "first degree" will not have any sensitive data, you are there to learn the basics of the craft. Anything said will be general knowledge at best. No one in their right mind will risk losing an engineering position in a top notch firm as well as legal liabilities for the sole purpose of ensuring "green horns" have sensitive data.

 

This announcement by the Dean is absolute silliness and opens up a can of worms. Something is really messed up or someone may be "pulling your leg".

 

Draggendrop

[Unobscured Vision]

Any other time in history I'd agree with you that it's completely unnecessary and even against everything that the Western World stands for. A joke in bad taste, in fact.

 

Even still I agree that in the grand scheme of things University R&D isn't really "hardcore" or "mission critical" as such. The stuff we're working on isn't that interesting except to us.

 

I have no idea why the Dean would send us emails like she did. I can speculate, but that's it. She hasn't responded to replies asking for clarification either.

 

Best case scenario it's nothing other than extreme precaution and paranoia on her part. Worst case scenario there's something really messed up going on.

 

I think it's extreme precaution and paranoia with some "politicking" thrown in for appearances.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Bits and bytes...

 

Sergey Prokopyev did a quick video to show the tools for the repair and the area inside the OM. This is a great video, is in Russian but a link is provided with a translation.

 

(posting issues)

 

https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1039130465251336192   video is 1:51 min.

 

https://twitter.com/katlinegrey/status/1039140042554454016 translation to print.

 

//

 

Quote

The #ISS "MMOD" hole from the point of view of an @EAA aircraft builder I looked at it from my mistakes while building. This is a pretty hurried or minimally controlled attempt to drill. (When I screwed up this bad I scrapped that part for safety.)

 

https://twitter.com/InventorCat/status/1039170388922691584

 

//

other investigations.....(comedy)

 

 

 

and if Rogozin gets stumped...

 

 

or

 

 

[DocM]

This'll end up with a damned circular firing squad ?

[Unobscured Vision]

Yeah. It's not gonna end well.

[DocM]

Had a feeling this was coming given Rogozin's bloviations.

 

/sigh....

 

Ars Technica....

 

Russian theory that NASA sabotaged the space station spreading like wildfire

As you may recall, a low-pressure leak occurred aboard the International Space Station in late August. Eventually the crews traced the leak to the orbital module of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft that had arrived at the station in June. After the problem was traced to what appears to be a manufacturing defect, the head of Russia's space program essentially called for the head of whoever made the error.

Now, however, something entirely new is afoot in Russia. A growing number of Russian publications have been putting forth an absurd new theorythat 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.

One of the most prominent articles was published Wednesday in Kommersant, which says Russian investigators are vigorously pursuing the claim that Americans may have damaged the Soyuz deliberately. Publicly, Roscosmos leader Dmitry Rogozin was quoted as saying about Russia's investigation into the leak, "Results we have received do not give us an objective picture. The situation is much more complex than we earlier thought."
>

 

Kommersant article...

 

"Union" is impaired

American astronauts suspected of intentional damage to the Russian spacecraft

American astronauts could deliberately drill a hole in the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft so that one of their sick colleagues could be delivered to Earth as soon as possible. This version, as it became known to Kommersant, is considered as a priority by the special commission of Roskosmos, investigating the causes of depressurization of the spacecraft. Russian specialists have already requested from NASA the data of the astronauts, as well as their current medical indications. If this version is confirmed, then the Russian-American relations in space will be dealt a severe blow.

 

?

[Draggendrop Veteran]

In response  to the above article mentioned by Doc....

 

Roscosmos chief lambasts rumors over Soyuz as ploy to subvert ISS crew

 

Quote

MOSCOW, September 12. /TASS/. The recent buzz about the incident with Russia’s Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft, which is currently docked with the International Space Station (ISS), is directed at subverting the friendly relations among the international crew on board the orbital station, Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin said.

"The recent gossip and rumors circulating about the incident at the ISS hinder the work of Roscosmos experts and are designed to subvert the friendly relations among the crew members of the space station," Rogozin commented on his Facebook account.

 

Russian deputy prime minister dismisses rumors US astronauts damaged Soyuz

"All statements citing unnamed sources are inadmissible until Roscosmos special commission concludes its work," the CEO stressed.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said earlier in the day that it was inadmissible to accuse either Russian or American ISS crewmembers of the incident since "it is a unified crew with no political disagreements whatsoever."

 

http://tass.com/science/1021278

 

Rogozin back pedaling again...

 

The ISS commander politely slammed the silliness as well...

 

Space station commander flatly denies crew caused leak

 

Quote

The head of the Russian space agency caused a stir last week when he said a hole drilled through the side of s Soyuz ferry ship docked to the International Space Station was the Russians blame Soyuz leak on human error, "either on Earth or in space." Station commander Drew Feustel said Tuesday it most certainly did not happen in orbit.

"I can unequivocally say that the crew had nothing to do with this on orbit, without a doubt, and I think it's actually a shame and somewhat embarrassing that anybody is wasting any time talking about something that the crew was involved in," Feustel said in a space-to-ground interview with ABC News Tuesday.

"The only thing the crew did was react appropriately, follow our emergency procedures, eventually locate that leak and plugged the hole," he said. "In doing so, we assured the continued operation of the space station, we ensured the ability of our crew all to remain on orbit and continue doing the great work that we do ... on the International Space Station."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/space-station-commander-flatly-denies-crew-caused-leak/

 

as well as here...

 

https://www.space.com/41805-astronauts-not-responsible-for-space-station-leak.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

 

https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2018/09/11/nasa-astronaut-we-didnt-drill-hole-caused-iss-pressure-leak/1266293002/

 

https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/09/11/station-commander-flatly-denies-any-crew-involvement-in-soyuz-leak/

 

We should be hearing about Rogozin's report soon....That will be a treat...and frankly, doesn't matter. The QA/QC is the issue now.

[DocM]

Their entire program has descended  into a giant Charlie Foxtrot.

 

Given the neverending development of Federation and these screw-ups, can you imagine how the first rideshare cosmonauts on Crew Dragon and Starliner will feel? In the future, Dream Chaser and BFS?

 

"W-T-F...we should have this..."

[DocM]

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-roscosmos-statement-on-international-space-station-leak

 

Quote

Sept. 13, 2018

RELEASE 18-077

NASA, Roscosmos Statement on International Space Station Leak

The following is a joint statement from NASA and the Russian space agency Roscosmos about the investigation into a pressure leak on the International Space Station Aug. 29-30:

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. 

The Administrator and the General Director noted speculations circulating in the media regarding the possible cause of the incident and agreed on deferring any preliminary conclusions and providing any explanations until the final investigation has been completed.

They affirmed the necessity of further close interaction between NASA and Roscosmos technical teams in identifying and eliminating cause of the leak, as well as continuation of normal ISS operations and NASA’s ongoing support of the Roscosmos-led Soyuz investigation. They acknowledged the entire crew is dedicated to the safe operation of the station and all docked spacecraft to ensure mission success.

The Administrator and the Roscosmos General Director agreed to conduct their first face-to-face meeting at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on or about Oct. 10 when the NASA Administrator will visit Russia and Kazakhstan in conjunction with the upcoming Soyuz crew spacecraft launch of American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexy Ovchinin.

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Had to laugh a bit when I read the release.

 

Administrator Bridenstine was already due to be at the launch. One would also think it a courtesy for Rogozin to meet with him for the first time there.

 

Now Rogozin tries to make it "special"......smells like a "Politicoburger" similar to "announcing one will be home for supper".

 

What do I know ? ... ( flails arms like kermit )

[DocM]

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

I would imagine NasaTV will cover the EVA.

 

Quote

To access the area of the hole on the exterior of the Soyuz, Russian officials are developing a spacewalk scenario relying on the available Strela boom, GStM. The telescopic device can be used to carry a cosmonaut secured to a special anchor at the end of the boom to a location aboard the station otherwise inaccessible to spacewalkers due to lack of railings.

 

On September 14, when starting his pre-flight exam in preparation for launch aboard the Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft on October 11, Russian cosmonaut Aleksei Ovchinin re-confirmed first reports dating back to September 8 that he and Sergey Prokopyev would conduct a spacewalk. One of the tasks of the excursion, which could take place in November or December 2018, would be the inspection of the Soyuz. Another spacewalk could be added to the flight plan, if necessary, RIA Novosti reported. There was even apparently talk at Roskosmos of a joint Russian-American spacewalk to ensure the maximum trust among the partners in this politically sensitive investigation.

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz-ms-09-hole.html#spacewalk

 

We don't get to see the Strela boom used much...this will be neat.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

New completion time for the "report"

 

Quote

And another fresh #ISS leak update. Nikolai Savostyanov, Roscosmos General Director's First Deputy, said to media: the Roscosmos commission investigating damage of "Soyuz MS-09" plans to complete its work by the end of November.

https://twitter.com/katlinegrey/status/1042372570224447488

 

reference...

Quote

MOSCOW, September 18 - RIA News. The work of the Roscosmos commission to investigate the reasons for the opening in the lining of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft will be completed at the end of November 2018, First Deputy Director General of the state corporation, chairman of the commission Nikolay Sevastyanov told reporters on Tuesday.

https://ria.ru/space/20180918/1528858772.html

[Draggendrop Veteran]

The MS-10 investigation takes priority and this one is shifted to December now.

 

Quote

The incident itself has already affected the astronauts' exit into space to study another state of emergency, which happened within the framework of the ISS project: the study of the hole in the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft, which led to a violation of its tightness, was postponed to the beginning of December.

Quote

An emergency will not only affect the timing of launches of Soyuz-type carrier rockets ( Kommersant reported this also on October 15 ), but will also affect the program for an astronaut on board the ISS. At least the spacewalk to inspect the opening in the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft, which was postponed from mid-November due to the Soyuz-FG missile accident, will take place no earlier than December. Then, according to Mr. Krikalev, “Kononenko will arrive (cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko. - “ Kommersant ” ) and Prokopyev will not fly away (cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev, who is now on the ISS . - “ Kommersant ”), at this moment we will plan. " He added that the next manned flight to the ISS is scheduled for early December. Oleg Kononenko, Ann McClain (NASA) and David Saint-Jacques (CSAA) will fly next in space, as planned. Interfax reported that the Union MS-09 itself will be returned to the earth after December 20. Mr. Krikalev is convinced that the hole will not prevent the return of the apparatus.

https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3773058

 

Everything will work out for the crew. These are tough times and a bit hectic. Once Commercial Crew is in full swing, all will stabilize (approx 8 months). 

[DocM]

🙄