--- title: "Cosmonaut: Hole Was Drilled From Inside Space Station" description: "## Hole Story" date: "2018-12-26" modified: "2018-12-26" authors: - name: "Jon Christian" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc" url: "https://futurism.com/space-station-hole-cosmonaut-comments" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "international space station" - "sergei prokopyev" - "space" --- # Cosmonaut: Hole Was Drilled From Inside Space Station ![A Russian cosmonaut who helped investigate damage to the ISS says the hole was apparently drilled from the inside. Here's what it means.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Hole Story Back in August, the crew on the International Space Station (ISS) [repaired a small leak]() that was allowing air to escape the orbiting outpost — damage that Russia speculated could have been the result of intentional sabotage. Now, the *Associated Press* [reports that]() a Russian cosmonaut who helped [investigate the damage]() during a spacewalk earlier this month has said that whoever drilled the hole appeared to do so from the interior of the station — though he's far from convinced the drilling was an act of sabotage. The controversy surrounding this hole has revealed that international tensions on Earth can reach outer space, which has long been a haven for international scientific cooperation — but the cosmonaut's comments are a heartening example of how public figures in the research community can push back against the use of space as a proxy battleground for terrestrial conflicts. ## Space Talk On Monday, the *AP* reported, cosmonaut Sergei Prokopyev — who took part in the spacewalk to investigate the damage — said at a press conference after returning to Earth that the hole appeared to originate from inside the capsule. But Prokopyev also "scoffed" at the idea that an ISS crew member drilled the hole, according to the *AP*. "You shouldn’t think so badly of our crew," he said. He also cautioned that "it’s up to the investigative organs to judge when that hole was made" — an apparent suggestion that the hole could have originated in a manufacturing facility on Earth. ## Fresh Air When the leak was first discovered, Russia's space agency said the damage was probably caused by a micrometeorite. But in a startling about-face, the director of the agency [suggested days later]() that the leak was the result of intentional sabotage — even specifically mentioning evidence of "several attempts at drilling" with a "wavering hand." Prokopyev, though, is behaving like a scientist: reporting the facts, but withholding judgment until after the collection of all data — a comforting approach during an era characterized by knee-jerk reactions. **READ MORE:** [Russia: Hole Drilled From Inside Int’l Space Station Capsule]() \[*The Associated Press*\] ***More on the ISS hole: [Someone Drilled a Hole in the ISS. Was It a Mistake or Sabotage?]()*** ## Author I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()