Pat Flannery wrote:
The leak was noticed prior to undocking; apparently there is a test
where they enter the reentry module and seal the hatch to the orbital
module, then lower the pressure in the orbital module to make sure the
hatch joining the two maintains pressure integrity before they separate
from the station.

OK that changes things a bit. On the other hand, if the leak rate was
steady, they would still have been able to decide if the loss of
pressure between time of orbital module separation and time of reaching
10,000 feet altitude would have be low enough that it wasn't a concern.

I can also see this as having taken some of their time after unbdocking
to perhaps test, examine the hatch of the descent module.

Do they have any data on g forces/impact force at the time that soyuz
docked ? When they moved the soyuz from one port to another, would they
have performed the same tests ? (which, if they were successful, would
indicate that the leak problem would have been caused after/during that manoeuver.


told them to separate from the ISS anyway.
The logic of that decision is very suspect, especially given what
happened afterwards.

What did happen afterwards ?

The question one should ask oneself is _why_ the hatch is leaking.

Agreed. Luckily, the deffective hatch is back on earth and they may be
able to find out what had happened to it.

They're probably concerned that their decision to allow to allow the
Soyuz to separate from the ISS despite the leak indication would look
flawed...as indeed it was.

What have the astronauts actually revealed that is factual ? Any leak
rates ? Was the leak generating a loud hiss ? Was it noticeable or was
it just a very tiny leak that was noticed only be the precise
instruments ?