"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."
"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)."
The Shenzhou-20 return capsule sustained damage likely caused by space debris, including tiny cracks in the viewport window. The Shenzhou-20 crew returned to Earth on the Shenzhou-21 shuttle that had brought their replacements, leaving Shenzhou-21 crew aboard Tiangong without a functional return vehicle. The China Manned Space Agency stated Shenzhou-20 does not meet requirements for a safe return. Docked spacecraft serve as emergency escape options, so the situation raises immediate safety concerns. A follow-up mission, Shenzhou-22, is planned to be launched at an appropriate future time, and the crew's return timeline remains uncertain.
Read at Futurism
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