---
title: "Russia: We Know Cause of Space Station Leak but Haven’t Told NASA"
description: "The head of Russia's space agency says it know what caused a mysterious Space Station hole — but NASA's head claims it hasn't shared the info with him."
date: "2019-09-23"
modified: "2019-09-23"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin Houser"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kristin"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/russia-space-station-hole-told-nasa"
categories:
  - "NASA"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "international space station"
  - "NASA"
  - "Roscosmos"
  - "the digest"
---

# Russia: We Know Cause of Space Station Leak but Haven’t Told NASA

![The head of Russia's space agency says it know what caused a mysterious Space Station hole — but NASA's head claims it hasn't shared the info with him.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/russia-nasa-cause-iss-hole.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: NASA/Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Not Telling

In August 2018, flight controllers detected a [tiny, easily-plugged hole](<https://futurism.com/sabotage-mistake-someone-drilled-hole-iss>) in the International Space Station. Now, the head of Russia's space agency is [claiming](<https://www.sciencealert.com/russia-knows-what-caused-the-hole-in-the-iss-and-nasa-wants-answers>) it has finally figured out the cause of the mysterious puncture — but it's keeping the information under wraps.

"We know exactly what happened, but we won't tell you anything," Roscosmos Director Dmitry Rogozin told attendees at a youth science conference, according to [Russian state news agency *RIA Novosti*](<https://ria.ru/20190918/1558803557.html>)*.*

## Hole Story

Young space enthusiasts aren't the only people Roscosmos isn't sharing the info with, either. It seems NASA — Russia's primary partner in the ISS — is still in the dark, too.

"They have not told me anything," NASA head Jim Bridenstine [told the *Houston Chronicle*](<https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/space/article/NASA-administrator-vows-to-talk-to-Russia-about-14452584.php>) in reference to Roscosmos' claim. "I don't want to let one item set (the relationship) back, but it is clearly not acceptable that there are holes in the International Space Station."

## Space Sabotage?

Initially, officials assumed the hole was caused by a micrometeorite that punctured a compartment. But further investigation revealed that the hole appeared to have been caused by drilling from [inside the capsule](<https://futurism.com/space-station-hole-cosmonaut-comments>), prompting Rogozin to suggest it could have been an act of [deliberate sabotage](<https://futurism.com/sabotage-mistake-someone-drilled-hole-iss>).

Whether that's the conclusion Russia ultimately reached or not, everyone involved in the ISS deserves to know what caused the hole — especially if it involved foul play.

**READ MORE:** [Roscosmos Knows What Caused The Hole in The ISS, and NASA Wants Answers](<https://www.sciencealert.com/russia-knows-what-caused-the-hole-in-the-iss-and-nasa-wants-answers>) \[*ScienceAlert*\]

**More on the ISS hole:** *[Cosmonaut: Hole Was Drilled From Inside Space Station](<https://futurism.com/space-station-hole-cosmonaut-comments>)*

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinjhouser>)