Stranded in Space: Chinese Crew Awaiting Rescue After Debris Strike

China rushes to send a 'rescue craft' to the Tiangong space station after a minor piece of space debris severely damaged the Shenzhou 21 return vessel.

 

Three Chinese astronauts are currently stranded aboard the Tiangong space station after their sole means of returning to Earth was rendered unsafe by a collision with space junk.

 

The incident, which occurred earlier in November, has been described by experts as a "massive wake-up call" regarding the increasing threat of orbital debris.

 

The three crew members of the Shenzhou 21 mission – Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang – have been unable to leave the Chinese station since last Friday, following the discovery of significant damage to their spacecraft.

 

The critical damage, a severe crack to the return vessel’s viewing port, was caused by a strike from a "tiny piece of space debris."

 

Experts have deemed the Shenzhou 21 unsuitable for re-entry, leaving the astronauts stuck in low Earth orbit.

 

In response, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) has confirmed it is accelerating preparations to launch a replacement spacecraft to retrieve the trio as soon as possible.

 

While a precise return date remains unconfirmed, flight reports suggest a launch of the relief vessel is tentatively scheduled for 25th November.

 

A Growing Global Concern

The unfortunate event marks the second time in two years that astronauts have been left stranded in orbit, highlighting a growing crisis surrounding orbital debris.

 

"It certainly is a bad situation," commented Jan Osburg, a senior engineer for the RAND Corporation’s engineering and applied sciences department, who called the recent incident "a massive wake-up call."

 

The concentration of space debris around Earth is escalating the risk of collisions.

 

In 2021, debris struck the International Space Station (ISS), damaging its robotic arm, and the ISS has had to perform several emergency manoeuvres in recent years to avoid collisions.

 

It is understood that the previous crew of the Tiangong station were returned on the same spacecraft used by the current stranded mission, prompting questions as to why all six astronauts were not kept aboard the station until a safe replacement could be launched.

 

However, supplies were reportedly dwindling following the previous crew’s delayed departure.

 

The global space community is now watching closely as the CMSA races against the clock to ensure the safe return of the three astronauts from their anxious wait in the void of space.

 

 

SOURCE : Science Alert