Russia’s space program just threw a NASA astronaut under the bus

Link to Arstechnica Article

This is an interesting article that just showed up in my newsfeed.

I felt this was something that really should be discussed here...

Russia's state-owned news service, TASS, has published an extraordinarily defamatory article about NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor. The publication claims that Auñón-Chancellor had an emotional breakdown in space, then damaged a Russian spacecraft in order to return early. This, of course, is a complete fabrication.

The context for the article is the recent, near-disastrous docking of the Russian Nauka science module with the International Space Station. The TASS article attempts to rebut criticism in US publications (including Ars Technica) that covered the incident and raised questions about the future of the Roscosmos-NASA partnership in space.

The claim is that the astronaut had a bout of "Deep Vein Thrombosis" while on the station, and drilled a hole in order to return to Earth early.

Would a trained Astronaut really be that desperate to make a return to Earth?

Why would someone sabotage the only thing keeping him/her alive?

The key points the Russians state are:

• Astronaut was treated for the Deep Vien Thrombosis upon return from the station
  
• Cameras were off at that section for an unknown reason
  
• "Drill marks" were made of a method consistant with being done in zero gravity without experience
  
• American Astronauts refused lie detector tests
  

a reply to: gspat

I don't think even she would be that stupid.

Not that I believe the story but...


We did have an astronaut wear adult Depends so she could drive non-stop to Houston to confront a rival for her astronaut lover.

In February 2007, Nowak was arrested in Orlando, Florida, after she accosted and pepper-sprayed Colleen Shipman, a U.S. Air Force captain romantically involved with astronaut William Oefelein, who had been in a relationship with Nowak. She was released on bail and initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, which included attempted kidnapping, burglary with assault, and battery. Subsequently, her assignment as an astronaut was terminated by NASA. In 2009, Nowak agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to charges of felony burglary of a car and misdemeanor battery. She remained a Navy captain until the following year when a Naval Board of Inquiry voted unanimously to reduce her in rank to the commander and to discharge her from the Navy under other than honorable conditions after 25 years of service. As of 2017, it was reported that she was working in the private sector in Texas.

en.wikipedia.org...

I've followed this story for quite some time just because it's so bizarre.

Despite the Russian allegations, the reality is that someone drilled a hole in the spaceship, and this was almost certainly done while in space. The simple fact that NASA never told anyone about the medical issue (DVT) and that the NASA astronauts refused lie detector tests wherein they most certainly would have been asked questions about any medical and or mental issues of their fellow astronaut is very, very, strange. Almost telling.

Regardless of who drilled the hole, all of these astronauts are highly trained space professionals with years of training and preparation. Anyone with an the IQ of a bag of hammers is going to know drilling a hole in the skin of an orbital vehicle while in space is probably a really bad idea, yet someone actually did it. So, somebody must have had some kind of a psychotic break while up there!

And we're gonna' got to Mars??????

Here's what what an actual trained astronaut would do:

They'd contact the ground and say "please get me home, thanks".

originally posted by: OneBigMonkeyToo
Here's what what an actual trained astronaut would do:

They'd contact the ground and say "please get me home, thanks".

The answer would have been buckle up for the duration buttercup.

What a wild situation...

The known facts cast the us in a poor light. I wonder what happened up there. Why they thought a hole would get them home faster... wouldn't they have to repair it before returning?

Astronaut was treated for the Deep Vien Thrombosis upon return from the station

Cameras were off at that section for an unknown reason

"Drill marks" were made of a method consistant with being done in zero gravity without experience

American Astronauts refused lie detector tests

Russians threw the astronaut under the bus???? Who WOULDN'T? This is the BS people in the US and many other countries deal with EVERY F#ING DAY from the government aka: liars in charge. Anyone with two brain cells should be questioning this and demanding answers. After all, if you don't get the facts from the actual actors or those in charge, all you can do is make an uneducated guess. This isn't a "Russia" problem. It's a US government problem.

a reply to: gspat

Easiest way to find out the truth, see if NASA ever puts her into space again.

If they don't then?.

If they do then?.

I would certainly like to know.

Article refuting claim

Not much of an article, TBH.

I wasn't aware that Russia might pull out from the ISS in 2025?