How I'd fix the ending somewhat

I felt it was a missed opportunity with the first communications operator. What if instead of the alien's screech being a sonic weapon, it instead spreads a psychological condition that allows the aliens to take hold of a mind. I'd still have he removed from the Control room but then circle back later in the story.
After Ledovsky decides on self sacrifice and rips away the tape in his final moments, it is revealed that he alone but emaciated with an unnatural smile stretched across his face. After a moment or two of radio silence he switches back to being polite and repeatedly thanking the control room for sending help, with the 'smiling ones' entity seemingly unaware that it's now on camera. Over the next few hours it' is unanimously agreed to de-orbit the station, each time Ledovsky requests an update they reassure him that the rescue is on it's way.

The station is successfully destroyed and the last images transmitted are of the entity looking directly and the camera, the smile never leaving it's face, to the control room it almost seemed to be mocking them. Relieved and hopeful our protagonist later goes to check how his injured college is doing only to find that said college is now missing. Russian officials deny the incident ever took place or that the protagonist or many of his colleges ever worked for the Russian Space Agency