Hole in Soyuz: Human Error, Sabotage or Micrometeoroid?

The images presented rule out the original idea of space debris damage. What concerns me is why there is only one layer of material between people and the vacuum of space. If this is by design then that layer should be inspected for defects a little better.

"Initial Russian media accounts speculated a technician mistakenly drilled the hole during pre-flight processing and then attempted to cover up the mistake.

RIA Novosti quoted a source at Energia saying "the hole was made on the ground. The person responsible for the act of negligence has been identified."

Another source told the news agency the worker did not report the error and instead applied a sealant of some sort. After two months in orbit, the sealant apparently dried out, the source said, and was expelled by the cabin air pressure, opening up a leak."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/international-space-station-russians-say-leak-soyuz-result-of-human-error-not-debris-strike/

I wonder how you accidentally drill a hole...but the drill tracks give it away.

A saboteur, how typical....

Patched with gauze and epoxy?

Show of hands, please: Who wants to take the reentry plunge in a vehicle that has a hole in the hull patched with a bandage and some glue?

Show of hands, please: Who wants to take the reentry plunge in a vehicle that has a hole in the hull patched with a bandage and some glue?

Apparently, there was no danger...

"The crew was never in any danger, officials said, and a safe re-entry by the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft was never in question. The upper module can be sealed off and in any case, it is jettisoned prior to atmospheric entry."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/international-space-station-russians-say-leak-soyuz-result-of-human-error-not-debris-strike/

...how can there be multiple drill tracks from an accidentally drilled hole?

Especially in a place where no whole hull hole was desired.

The news article cited said, "After two months in orbit, the sealant apparently dried out."

Aerospace grade sealants do not, "dry out" after two months, if ever.

Outgassing Data for Selecting Spacecraft Materials System

Back when I was involved, we routinely sent material samples to GSFC for testing and acceptance.

I'd think Russian space models would be likewise qualified.

You'd think . . . or we'd hope . . . .

The delivery cost of this 10¢ screw is only part of the big deal.

Not such a big screw up as ignoring technical advice and going for launch when it's too cold for the seals to do their job.
Del

Absolutely!

What else did he work on? Are there any other "mistakes" waiting to be found?

I was never convinced hitching a ride in an antique Russian design was a good idea to begin with. The stories of their quality control are legendary.

And then there is the old "joke" about the first cosmonaut. The one before Gegarin. The one who was not loyal enough to hold his breathe for the entire flight.

There are more than one thing wrong, here. First of all, the large hole on the perpendicular surface does not appear to be painted white. Maybe it is as it's hard to tell in this photo but it appears metallic, to me. It also has a strange lip on it.

What is behind the large holes? is this a stiffener bonded to the back of an outer panel?

The hole is at an angle and sloppily drilled. Was it drilled when the drill went through another piece of material that was held against the wall for support?

The two marks above the larger hole look like scars from the drill chuck ring nut and are about inline with the angle the drill would have been at to make the angled hole.

The three strips of scar marks seem to be from the drill bit sliding across the surface before it got the hole started but they don't look right. They actually look more like marks from the ring nut when the large hole was drilled.

How incompetent was this saboteur? There are 9+ scars associated with getting a single hole drilled!

Why aren't any of the 9 or more scars painted? Does this indicate that he made that much of a mess getting the one hole drilled? Were any of them from other work done in the vicinity? How did this mess go unnoticed?

Why did he use a non-aerospace sealant that could have dried out and came out? Why didn't he use bubble gum if this was sabatoge? Why didn't he use a legitimate sealant if it was covering up a mistake? Why didn't he use a screw or other fastener?

I believe there is a lot more to be learned from the investigation!

And I believe that you make far too many assumptions from viewing one photograph.

It expect that, in due time, an answer will be presented.

He's recovering nicely, I hear.

And, I didn't say it would be the true explanation.

And MH 17

Yeah, at least when the USA shoots down a passenger plane they do admit it
Del

The "three stripes of scars" are from the drill bit walking, not sliding. This will happen when a drill bit is incorrectly used at an angle. You must start at a 90^° and then adjust the bits angle as it gets started.

This took more than one try. that pretty much says it.

I'm guessing this hole wasn't needed to mount anything or route a tiny cord that was forgotten.

Could be they were drinking white Russians and the hole is where the straw goes.

They need to ban straws!!!

It’s definitely a drill hole .

i guess these things happen when Borishev can’t get a babysitter and takes his 4 year old nephew to run riot at work .

Several tries I agree with. In my experience, when a drill point walks, it leaves 'swirly' marks from the tip. Just to be contrarian, I don't see any connecting line or arc between the marks.

I'm not saying I know what it is, and I doubt we will ever know. I'm just saying that to my eyes, it doesn't look like the typical drill walking marks. Now if the drill was tilted more than the cutting angle at the tip (generally 118 degrees or 135 degrees standard), I could agree with it 'skipping' along the surface. but then that brings into question why there wasn't a special drill and/or fixture made to locate the hole.

Disregarding the picky terminology, it seems straight-forward that it doesn't belong there.

If it was sabotage, on the ground or in flight, I wouldn't expect the person to have the correct drilling fixture, trying to drill behind their back, looking out to not get caught, avoiding cameras, etc. etc. Maybe even done by a person who had never operated a drill before!

Luckily, no one shot an eye out