The investigation of the leak of the space station is underway

Two weeks after astronauts and cosmonauts repaired an air leak at the International Space Station, investigators are still trying to figure out how the tiny hole got there.

According to a new joint statement by NASA and Roscosmos, the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos' director, Dmitry Rogozin, has invited NASA's administrator, Jim Bridenstine, to meet on Wednesday (September 12th) to discuss of the investigation.

"In their discussions, Dmitry Rogozin informed his US counterpart of Roscosmos' decision to establish a commission led by Roscosmos to investigate the cause of the leak of the Soyuz probe (MS-09 / 55S) currently docked at the station "and officials of Roscosmos said in the statement. [Russia’s Manned Soyuz Space Capsule Explained (Infographic)]

Expedition 56 crew members located the 2-millimeter (0.08-inch) hole in the Soyuz orbital bay on August 30, shortly after ground controllers found a slight dip pressure on the Russian side of the space station. After the astronauts plugged the hole with a combination of gauze, epoxy and heavy-duty tape, the pressure inside the lab in orbit returned to normal.

While NASA and Roscosmos did not determine the cause of the leak, Rogozin first assumed that a micrometeoroid could be responsible for it. However, Rogozin later stated that the hole appeared to have been built by the man, as if an engineer with "a hesitant hand" had accidentally or deliberately punctured the hole.

"The director and the managing director noted speculation that circulated in the media regarding the possible cause of the incident and agreed to postpone any preliminary findings and provide explanations until the The final investigation is over, "said NASA and Roscosmos officials.

Earlier this week, NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, commander of Expedition 56, dismissed the idea that one of the six crew members of the station would have intentionally caused the escape into an act of sabotage in orbit. "I can say unequivocally that the crew did not do that," said Feustel in an interview. Bridenstine and Rogozin "have recognized that the entire team is dedicated to the safe operation of the station and all spacecraft moored to ensure the success of the mission," the statement said.

Bridenstine and Rogozin will meet next month at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, when NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin will travel to the Soyuz MS-10 international space station. declaration. The Soyuz MS-09, where the mysterious escape was discovered, is expected to return to Earth in December with NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor, Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev and European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst.

Email Hanneke Weitering at [email protected] or follow her @hannekescience. follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.