The Shenzhou-20 team — Wang Jie (left), Chen Zhongrui (center), and Chen Dong (right) — are presently stuck aboard the Tiangong orbiting laboratory after their re-entry module suffered a hit from space debris. The group ascended to space on April 24.(Image credit: PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images)
Following an impact from what is believed to be “space debris” merely hours ahead of their scheduled departure, a trio of Chinese astronauts, often referred to as taikonauts, are facing a temporary space sojourn. Authorities are currently probing the incident, but thus far, there is no data concerning the magnitude of impairment to the vehicle or the timeline for the crew’s return to Earth.
The three taikonauts — Wang Jie, Chen Zhongrui, and Chen Dong, together recognized as the Shenzhou-20 crew — have been stationed at China’s Tiangong orbital outpost since April 24. Their return to our planet was intended for Wednesday (Nov. 5) post a fruitful shift exchange with the Shenzhou-21 crew, who got to the station on Halloween (Oct. 31). Nonetheless, earlier on Wednesday, approximately at 10:30 a.m. local time, representatives from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) communicated that the astronauts’ homecoming had been put off, via a declaration published on the Chinese social media platform Weibo.
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The potentially compromised spacecraft is most likely still connected to the Tiangong space lab, where it has stayed since transporting the Shenzhou-20 team to the station back in April. It consists of three distinct modules — an energy and propulsion section, a living compartment for the crew, and a parachute-aided retrieval part, as per Ars Technica.
Should any of these modules be considered insecure, the spacecraft will probably be jettisoned and sent back to Earth without the astronauts. In such an event, CNSA guidelines propose that the Shenzhou-20 team would make their return on the Shenzhou-21 retrieval module, which, subsequently, will be swapped out by another spacecraft maintained on standby by CMSA, as reported by Reuters.
The Shenzhou-21 crew was sent to space on Oct. 31 and is presently cohabitating the Tiangong station with the Shenzhou-20 crew.
During the present assignment, Shenzhou-20’s chief, Chen Dong, surpassed the benchmark for the most accrued time in space by a Chinese astronaut, having now recorded more than 400 days circling our globe. This figure will now be further enhanced because of this holdup. (The existing record for the most disjointed days expended in space is held by Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, who has amassed 1,111 days in space.)
Dong’s circumstance is analogous to that of NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, who unknowingly shattered the record for the longest stint in space by an American (371 days) in September 2023, subsequent to his retrieval module being irreparably damaged by a meteoroid hit, during its docking with the International Space Station (ISS).
In March, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams also grabbed headlines when they touched down on Earth nine months from when their initial week-long expedition commenced. The pair’s protracted tenure aboard the ISS resulted from various mechanical snafus with their Boeing Starliner capsule.
Since 2021, taikonauts have been residing on the Tiangong space station. Each crew’s spacecraft is kept fastened to the station throughout their duration on site, from when they come until they leave.
This isn’t the inaugural event of space detritus impacting China’s orbital lab: One of the station’s solar arrays suffered damage from a debris strike in 2023, which resulted in a partial disruption of power, as reported by Ars Technica. As a direct consequence, added shielding has been affixed to sections of the station’s exterior through recent extravehicular activities.
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The ISS is likewise vulnerable to space refuse and necessitates continuous adjustments in position to avert larger pieces of waste. Some segments of the space station, for example the Canadarm2 robotic arm, have sustained harm due to the impact of lesser detritus over the years.
The quantity of space garbage circling Earth is escalating swiftly, congruent with the increasing number of artificial satellites enveloping our planet. Several specialists harbor apprehension that, if such a trend continues, we might arrive at a crucial juncture where a chain reaction of crashes will render low Earth orbit unserviceable. This hypothetical concept is denoted as the “Kessler Syndrome.”
Simultaneously, governmental space agencies and corporate enterprises are examining varied strategies for alleviating space debris.
TOPICSChina
Harry BakerSocial Links NavigationSenior Staff Writer
Harry is a senior staff scribe for Live Science, situated in the U.K.. He read marine biology at the University of Exeter before he trained as a journalist. He writes on a wide variety of topics, including planetary science, space exploration, space weather, climate change, paleontology and animal habits. His recent contribution on the solar maximum was awarded “best space submission” at the 2024 Aerospace Media Awards and was shortlisted in the “top scoop” category at the NCTJ Awards for Excellence in 2023. He also contributes to Live Science’s Earth from space weekly serial.
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