Chinese astronauts have successfully installed protection against “space junk” aboard the permanently inhabited Tiangong space station. This action comes a month after a docked spacecraft was damaged by debris for the first time.
Debris Damage Caused Emergency
Early last month, a tiny, high-velocity piece of debris cracked the window of the Shenzhou-20 return capsule. The damage occurred just before the vessel was scheduled to return to Earth carrying three astronauts.
The severity of the damage prompted an unprecedented decision by China’s space authorities. They delayed the crew’s return and sent them back instead on the only other available vessel, the Shenzhou-21. This triggered China’s first-ever emergency launch mission, as the Shenzhou-21 crew was temporarily left without a flightworthy departure vehicle.
This entire event, a significant challenge for China’s rapidly advancing space program, underscored the risks posed by space debris. The orbiting debris field is created by defunct satellites, satellite mishaps, and anti-satellite weapon tests.
Spacewalk for Shield Installation
To prevent a repeat of last month’s emergency, two members of the Shenzhou-21 crew completed a spacewalk on Tuesday.
- The astronauts installed the debris protection device using Tiangong’s robotic arm.
- They also inspected and photographed the damaged window of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft.
- The Shenzhou-20 remains docked at Tiangong and is awaiting an uncrewed return for further examination.
According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, the Shenzhou-21 crew may reinforce the cracked window on future spacewalks.
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