In August 2018, a 2mm breach was noticed on a Russian spaceship that had docked with the International Space Station. Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev, European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst and NASA's Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor had flown to the ISS in June that year on board the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft.
While no astronauts were in danger, the hole could have caused de-pressurisation of the space station in two weeks, if it was unchecked. The astronauts returned to earth safely on the same Soyuz craft after the hole was patched by the crew.
In late November, Russia's space agency Roscosmos sent results of its investigation into the incident to law enforcement agencies in the country. There had been reports in the Russian media since earlier this year that Auñón-Chancellor had drilled the hole after being upset over a failed romantic relationship with a fellow crew-member. However, Roscosmos had not publicly pointed to Auñón-Chancellor as being the perpetrator.
Russia's official news agency TASS also had referred to Auñón-Chancellor's involvement, citing her “desire to return to Earth because of a blood clot or a fight with her boyfriend”. TASS had reported experts had concluded the hole could only have been drilled from the inside of the Soyuz spacecraft and “had been drilled in weightlessness by a person not acquainted with the spaceship’s design”.
In August, NASA took note of the allegations against Auñón-Chancellor circulating in the Russian media. NASA's head of human spaceflight Kathy Lueders told reporters the agency stood behind her and her professional conduct and “did not find this accusation credible”.
Space.com had reported that NASA was upset with the Russian media reports not only naming Serena Auñón-Chancellor, but also for disclosing the medical condition she suffered in space. NASA typically kept such information private.
Interestingly, NASA had claimed it knew the location of the US astronauts on board ISS. Space.com reported in August “NASA officials knew the precise locations of the US astronauts before the leak occurred and at the moment it began, thanks to space station surveillance. The video footage indicated that none of the US astronauts on the station were near the Russian segment where the Soyuz vehicle was docked. But the Russians didn't buy it. They were convinced that one of the crew sabotaged the Soyuz.”
The deterioration in US-Russia ties over the past decade has seen its impact on space cooperation. In November, the US lashed out at Russia for testing an anti-satellite missile that sent debris in the direction of the ISS, forcing the crew to take evasive action.
Serena Auñón-Chancellor, who is 45, was selected by NASA for the astronaut programme in 2009. She logged 197 days in space. She holds a bachelors degree in electrical engineering and a doctorate in medicine. She is a specialist in aerospace medicine.