China Says Mystery Object Appears to Have Struck Ship That Its Space Station Astronauts Were Supposed to Return Home In
China was forced to delay the return of three astronauts from the Tiangong space station after a suspected collision with space debris that apparently hit the spacecraft they were supposed to return from.
Aspect New York Times reportsThe Chinese Manned Space Agency is still investigating the grisly incident.
“The Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft is suspected to have been struck by a small piece of orbital debris, and assessment of the impact and associated risks is currently ongoing,” the agency said. expression.
The three affected crew members were part of the Shenzhou-20 mission, which launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northern China in April. They spent six months aboard the vast Tiangong space station, currently the only fully operational orbital habitat other than the International Space Station.
The crew was supposed to return on Thursday, but suspicion of a debris attack forced them to postpone the trip to “ensure the health and safety of the astronauts and the successful completion of the mission,” according to the China Manned Space Agency.
This incident underscores how big a problem the increasing amount of space debris orbiting Earth has become, especially for those who spend long periods of time in space.
These fragments, which can be faulty parts of rockets, dead satellites, or micrometeoroids, can vary significantly in size. But at extremely high speeds, even the smallest fragments or fragments can trigger a crisis.
By the way to the state newspaper China DailyAn object just one centimeter in diameter can deliver the equivalent amount of energy to a hand grenade while traveling at 6,500 miles per hour. For context, the Tiangong station is moving at just over 17,000 miles per hour to maintain its orbit.
“You don’t see them, and they are deadly,” said Christophe Bonnal, an expert on space debris at the International Academy of Astronautics. NYT.
Even worse, anti-satellite weapons tests Carried out by Russia in late 2021It could make the situation much worse and send more debris into an already very busy orbit.
And it’s not just China dealing with this problem. The ISS is forced to routinely fire its thrusters to avoid debris.
Scientists are still working hard to find ways to clear the space around our planet to ensure that future space exploration is not affected by this threat, but has yet to make meaningful progress.
It remains unclear whether China will send an emergency spacecraft to rescue the astronauts, which would involve launching an unmanned Shenzhou capsule to Tiangong. as part of the previously discussed Plan B.
Luckily, being stranded in Tiangong doesn’t sound so bad. Videos from earlier this week roaming online showed astronauts cooking chicken wings in a “space oven,” a delicious meal that boosts morale during this stressful time.
More about Tiangong: China Installed an Oven on the Space Station, Astronauts Used It to Enjoy Delicious BBQ Feast
