Last week, news emerged that the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft docked to China’s Tiangong space station had sustained serious damage, likely due to space debris.
The capsule was meant to allow a crew of three astronauts to return to Earth on November 5, but thanks to “tiny cracks” in the “return capsule’s viewport window,” the Shenzhou-20 crew had to return home on the Shenzhou-21 shuttle that delivered their replacements to the station instead, safely landing in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region last week.
That leaves the new batch of astronauts in a pickle, since what was going to be their ride home — and escape craft, in the case that anything went wrong — instead immediately departed for Earth. As Newsweek points out, that means the Shenzhou-21 crew is technically currently stranded on board the Tiangong without a usable spacecraft at their disposal. The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft is out of commission as it “does not meet the requirements for the astronauts’ safe return,” per a statement by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
It’s a hairy situation, highlighting the considerable danger the space junk littering our planet’s orbit poses. Docked spacecraft aren’t just designed for scheduled returns; they also provide astronauts with a means of evacuating the station in the event of an emergency.
It’s also reminiscent of the time NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams were stranded on board the International Space Station for eight months longer than anticipated last year. (Instead of their ride sustaining damage due to space debris, their return was delayed by technical issues plaguing Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.)
When the currently orbiting crew will return or whether the Shenzhou-20 is safe enough for a shelter-in-place maneuver remains unclear. The CMSA stated that the next mission, Shenzhou-22, “will be launched at an appropriate time in the future,” per state-run news outlet Global Times — though if that time is when it sends another crew of astronauts to the space station, getting them home will again leave the station without an escape craft.
An expert told the publication that the Shenzhou-21’s departure gives the Shenzhou-22 “time to complete its preparations, ensuring more secure and efficient operation.”
According to the CMSA, the damaged Shenzhou-20 capsule will stay docked to the Tiangong for now to “continue conducting relevant experiments.”
More on the situation: Chinese Astronauts Alarmed After Finding Cracks In Their Spacecraft’s Window
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