Holes in the International Space Station

Authorities are looking into if hole made by astronaut who ‘might want to go home’

When a tiny hole was discovered inside the International Space Station (ISS) last Wednesday, U.S. and Russian authorities initially suspected a micrometeoroid strike. More than 170 million pieces of space debris circle in the earth’s orbit and a collision with the ISS appeared to be inevitable.

Authorities said last week that the leak had led to a small drop in cabin pressure, but that the six astronauts who are currently on board the ISS were at no point in real danger.

A sealant was applied last Thursday and cabin pressure returned to normal.

But the incident’s fallout continued this week, after Russian officials who were subsequently tasked with examining the hole concluded that it had been drilled — potentially deliberately.

Even the possibility of human interference could prove to be explosive, given that the ISS is one of the last remaining joint projects between Moscow and Washington.

Crew members arrive and depart using the Russian capsules; the leaking one had arrived in June.

The hole was discovered in a section of the ship not used to transport the crew members, but with the next departure to Earth scheduled for December, any interference could have ripple effects on the space station’s operations.

Investigators did not specify whether they believed the hole was drilled on Earth or in space, but Russia’s Roscosmos space agency did not exclude the possibility of sabotage.