A Piece of Space Junk Hit Their Ride Home. What Does This Mean for Space Exploration?

"This week the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced that the homecoming for three of its astronauts was delayed after a piece of space junk struck the Shenzhou 20 spacecraft that was intended to ferry them back to Earth from China's Tiangong space station. While the agency continues to investigate the extent of the damage, independent experts say the incident is a clear sign that the danger of proliferating orbital debris is only going to grow."

"Space junk is essentially all the human-made objects floating in space that are no longer useful. As orbital launches and other space activities have increased, so have the fragments produced by collisions, accidental breakups, spent rocket stages, and more. In Earth orbit, debris can drift through space for decades, gradually descending because of atmospheric drag before finally experiencing a fiery reentry."

"A recent analysis, co-authored by Kahn tracked 34,000 pieces of space debris larger than 10 centimeters that were cataloged from 1958 to mid-April 2025. The researchers found that 73 percent of all tracked debris in orbit today can be traced back to just 20 major sourcesfrom launches by China, the U.S. and Russia. According to NASA, as of today, there are more than 45,000 human-made objects orbiting Earth."

China’s Shenzhou 20 spacecraft was struck by orbital debris, delaying the planned return of three astronauts while damage is investigated. Independent experts warn that proliferating space junk increases the likelihood of similar disruptions. Space debris originates from collisions, accidental breakups, spent rocket stages, and other mission remnants and can persist in orbit for decades before atmospheric reentry. Orbital fragments pose collision risks to crewed vehicles and vital space infrastructure. A recent analysis tracked 34,000 debris pieces larger than 10 centimeters cataloged through mid‑April 2025 and found 73 percent traceable to 20 major sources. NASA counts more than 45,000 human-made objects in orbit.

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