Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science

Russia says US astronaut intentionally damaged the ISS to come home early– the US is having none of it

Grab the space popcorn, 'cause the soap opera has just started.

Mihai Andrei by Mihai Andrei
August 18, 2021
in Science

Although the Cold War is technically over, the US and Russia are adversaries on multiple fronts, and rarely seem to get along. Space was one of the few exceptions — for the most part, at least. But things are getting tense on the International Space Station (ISS) too.

In an unsubstantiated article by Russia’s state-owned news agency TASS, a “high-ranking,” anonymous employee of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos accused US astronaut Serena Auñon-Chancellor of deliberately sabotaging the station.

The article in Russian seeks to address criticisms of the recent Nauka incident, and the Russian space program in general, and at one point, the article makes a special mention of an event from a Soyuz spacecraft in 2018, when an air leak was observed at the orbiting laboratory. The Russian mouthpiece accused Auñon-Chancellor of drilling a hole herself in the ISS’s Soyuz MS-09 vehicle.

The reasoning, the unnamed official claims, is that the American astronaut suffered a “psychological crisis” after experiencing a deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in the internal jugular vein of their neck). The article doesn’t offer any evidence but goes on to claim that American astronauts refused a polygraph test and the video camera at the junction of the Russian and American segments did not work at that time.

Obviously, suffering from a medical condition while orbiting the Earth in a research module is far from ideal. But from this to sabotaging a module just so you can get home earlier is a very big leap. Without any evidence and nothing more than an anonymous accusation, few were really convinced. NASA also wasn’t having it.

“NASA astronauts, including Serena Auñón-Chancellor, are extremely well-respected, serve their country, and make invaluable contributions to the agency,” Kathy Lueders, chief of human spaceflight for NASA, tweeted on Friday. “We stand behind Serena and her professional conduct. We do not believe there is any credibility to these accusations.”

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson followed up, adding: “I whole-heartedly agree with Kathy’s statement. I fully support Serena and I will always stand behind our astronauts.”

However, NASA also didn’t publish an official statement clarifying the situation, and the one they did doesn’t directly exonerate the US astronaut.

“To protect their privacy, the agency will not discuss medical information regarding crew members.”

Perhaps, as Ars so eloquently put it, NASA just wanted to avoid a pissing match with Rocosmos, or simply thought it beneath them to flat out deny something as crazy as an astronaut sabotaging a module. But the spat is unlikely to be a minor incident.

America’s and Russia’s space efforts are drifting further and further apart, with Russia planning to withdraw from the ISS and teaming up with China to build a new station.

Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Related posts:
  1. Astronaut builds lego ISS on board the ISS
  2. Russia will deny the US access to the ISS come 2020 over Ukraine sactions
  3. China intentionally misreported its COVID-19 cases, U.S. intelligence says
  4. “Mighty Mice” arrive at the ISS to improve astronaut health
  5. U.S. astronaut sets new record for continuous stay in space after 341 days on ISS

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW