NASA administrator looks into leak of air causing hole in international space station

NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said Wednesday that the hole that caused air leakage into the International Space Station in August was not necessarily maliciously drilled – even though Russian authorities determined that this was not a manufacturer's fault.

This determination "indicates that it is an isolated problem that does not categorically affect future production," Bridenstine said in a statement released Wednesday. "This conclusion does not necessarily mean that the hole was created intentionally or with malicious intent."

The leak was discovered on August 30 in the Russian Soyuz probe attached to the space station. The Soyuz is the only way to transport astronauts to and from the space station since the shutdown of the space shuttle program in 2011. But the compromised part of the Soyuz does not return to Earth and the patch that the astronauts set up the month last holds.

After the discovery of the hole, Russia immediately launched an investigation – estimated at full origin in September – about the nature of the hole, the intentional nature of it, and the fact that other modules Soyuz in development also had flaws. Russian authorities now say that the investigation will not be completed until November.

The Russians initially thought the hole was a result of space debris, but then claimed that it probably resulted from sloppy drilling, on Earth or in space.

BLAME: Hole caused by an air leak in the International Space Station, made by the human hand, says Russia

"It's a matter of honor," said Dmitry Rogozin, former head of the Roscosmos State Space Society, "… to find the perpetrator of this offense, to determine whether it's a crime." it was an accidental default or deliberate deterioration and the place where it was committed – either on Earth or in space ".

This comment has sparked the brainchild of NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, who currently lives on the station. Last week, he told ABC News that it was "a shame and a little embarrassing that anyone was wasting their time talking about something in which the crew was involved".

& # 39; A SHAME: & # 39; The NASA astronaut says that a hole in the International Space Station has not occurred in orbit

An exit into space to examine the hole is tentatively scheduled for November and the next launch of the space station – scheduled for Oct. 11 with NASA astronaut Nick Hague – is expected to take place again.

RUSSIA "COMMITTED" FOR SAFETY: preparation of NASA astronaut for October flight continues uninterrupted

Bridenstine will meet Rogozin before this launch, which will take place in Kazakhstan.

Astronauts at the space station immediately repaired the hole in the Soyuz after its discovery, and the official TASS news agency announced last month its takeoff.

"I trust them: the astronaut confident that Russia will find the source of the hole

"The manned spacecraft Soyuz MS-09 was allowed to continue its flight in the Russian segment of the ISS and to be used as a rescue capsule," said the builder Soyuz Energia in a press release, according to TASS.

Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the Houston Chronicle's environment. You can reach her at [email protected] or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.