China Delays Shenzhou-20 Crew Return After Suspected Space Debris Impact (spacenews.com) 29
China has delayed the return of its Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft after it was suspected to have been struck by space debris while docked at the Tiangong space station. "The Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft is suspected of being struck by a small piece of space debris, and impact analysis and risk assessment are underway," the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) statement Nov. 5 read. "To ensure the safety and health of the astronauts and the complete success of the mission, it has been decided that the Shenzhou-20 return mission, originally scheduled for Nov. 5, will be postponed." SpaceNews reports: CMSEO did not specify the location of the suspected strike, the extent of any damage, or the data that indicated an impact. No potential dates were noted for a return to Earth. The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft launched April 24, carrying three astronauts -- commander Chen Dong and crewmates Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie -- to the Tiangong space station. The spacecraft docked at the radial port of Tiangong's Tianhe core module. The crew have completed their six-month-long mission in orbit, and had handed over control of the space station to the newly-arrived Shenzhou-21 crew Nov. 4.
Checks on the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft could include telemetry and leak tests, verifying guidance and propulsion systems, and screening for impacts in accelerometer and acoustic sensor data. A key concern would be potential damage to the spacecraft's thermal protection system or parachute deployment structures, both critical for safe atmospheric reentry and landing. Tiangong features a 10-meter-long robotic arm, capable of crawling, and a smaller, more precise arm. These could be employed to position cameras and provide closeup imagery of a potential impact. Crews may be able to conduct an extravehicular activity (EVA) to assess the situation. Tiangong crews have recently added debris shields during a number of EVAs; the same procedures, tools, and arm support can be adapted for a Shenzhou inspection.
Checks on the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft could include telemetry and leak tests, verifying guidance and propulsion systems, and screening for impacts in accelerometer and acoustic sensor data. A key concern would be potential damage to the spacecraft's thermal protection system or parachute deployment structures, both critical for safe atmospheric reentry and landing. Tiangong features a 10-meter-long robotic arm, capable of crawling, and a smaller, more precise arm. These could be employed to position cameras and provide closeup imagery of a potential impact. Crews may be able to conduct an extravehicular activity (EVA) to assess the situation. Tiangong crews have recently added debris shields during a number of EVAs; the same procedures, tools, and arm support can be adapted for a Shenzhou inspection.
Chinese can only copy west (Score:5, Funny)
Obviously the chinese saw starliner's delayed return from ISS and wanted to emulate it. They couldn't engineer the thrusters as badly as Boeing so they have had to fake an "impact". Pathetic.
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...so they have had to fake an "impact".
You're not imaginative enough; they obviously planted [reuters.com] the debris in the first place.
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China calling Elon. Come in, Elon! :)
ASAT Missile Test (Score:5, Informative)
Does anyone remember China blowing up a satellite around 2007, which received much international condemnation because of the amount of space debris is created?
Re:ASAT Missile Test (Score:5, Funny)
Damned typo.
I was meant to ask if anyone else remembers the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989?
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If you can remember the 1980s were you truly there, man?
The actual ones you're talking about from the 1960s would normally be pissed at you for claiming that..if they could remember why.
Re: ASAT Missile Test (Score:2)
Did I hallucinate Reagan's unprecedented deficits that tripled the national debt, because he knew it wouldn't matter to the stock market?
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Russia, the US, and India have also tested anti-satellite weapons, creating debris in orbit. But it's unlikely to be anything related to that. There is much more debris from satellites that collided, parts of rockets that didn't quickly re-enter the atmosphere, and natural rocks caught in Earth's gravity well. It might also be something that was dropped from the Chinese station or one of the visiting vehicles itself. I haven't seen any reports of them losing stuff, but during EVAs on the ISS, tools are regu
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Welcome to Slashdot. Anything that suggests China may not be the biggest bad doesn't tend to fare very well.
They dont care about debris (Score:4, Insightful)
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Not troll! It's absolutely true. Parent post is +1 insightful.
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(The climate change industry) has proven time and time again they don't care enough to mitigate the debris they create. From lithium batteries
Lithium batteries are extremely recyclable.
to massive growth and production,
Of what?
their actions speak louder than their weasel words.
What about your missing words?
Americans used to ruin the US just because it was cheaper
???
You need an editor even more than Slashdot.
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CNSA is working on debris removal systems, which also happen to work as offensive anti-satellite weapons.
The US and Russia are working on them too.
The solution to the debris problem might end up being that everyone wants on-orbit offensive capability, under the guise of cleaning up debris.
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The US Congress refuses to adequately fund the debris cleanup research, **BUT** they gleefully shovel money at every damn thing the Space Farce (spelling deliberate) wants including anti-sat R&D.
Truthfully I'd be very surprised if we don't already have something on orbit based on the Army's "smart bullet" tech. Far less debris created if you can take out a satellite's comms or power bus, and it could be blamed on "space debris". Something like that would weigh very little and could be attached to pret
I think I've seen this movie before... (Score:2)
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There was an Outer Limits episode where Michael Dorn played an astronaut who was taken-over by such an alien and the other astronaut had to make the decision to suicide himself or to live and let the the alien reach Earth.
Now will they care? (Score:5, Informative)
Like most pollution problems, there is little incentive to take the lead on mitigation if the next guy over doesn't follow along. Like all pollution problems, it's creating a cost - a negative externality - that no one wants to internalize and pay to fix.
I don't think that the Chinese government particularly cares if these astronauts die - they have a long track record of valuing life poorly. But they definitely care about image. And if these astronauts die in a very public way, perhaps that will put some motivation into China cleaning up their act. Even better if it serves as an impetus for binding global standards.
I believe in Commander Dong (Score:2)
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> commander Chen Dong and crewmates Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie
Please stop making jokes - this is a serious matter.
Commander Dong and his crewmates Me Hungrui and Wang Pee just want to get home for obvious reasons.
It reminds me of the plane crew Sum Ting Wong, Wi Tu Lo, Ho Lee Fuk and Bang Ding Ow. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
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A group of us system admins were talking and somehow the topic of odd names came up. One woman once had to fix the customer record of a fellow named Long Dong. She said, "I always wondered if he lived up to his name."
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I knew a recruiters called Richard Long and Stella Ho. I always wondered if they lived up to their names, too. Better than my friends Rob Graves and Dick Leak, at least.
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Some people must hate their children. My wife had a friend with the last name Vaca (Cow in Spanish), he married a woman whose last name was Del Pozo (Of The Well). He said he was going to name his first daughter Soyla (homonym for 'I am'), so she'd be Soyla Vaca Del Pozo.