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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Beijing, December 1 (Xinhua) — Following a suspected collision with space debris, the Shenzhou-20 manned spacecraft, currently docked with the Chinese space station, will return to Earth unmanned, according to Ji Qiming, spokesperson for the China Manned Space Administration (CMSA).
After a suspected debris strike on the Shenzhou 20's window, the three astronauts originally scheduled to return to Earth on that spacecraft were sent aboard Shenzhou 21, which safely returned them home on November 14.
On November 25, the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft was launched into space to provide a new transport for the return of another crew from orbit. This was the first emergency launch in the history of China's human spaceflight program.
As Ji Qiming reported in a recent interview with China Central Television, during a subsequent spacewalk, the Shenzhou-21 crew, currently on a six-month orbital mission, may be tasked with inspecting cracks in the damaged window. The astronauts may also install protection on the window using specialized equipment delivered aboard Shenzhou-22. This procedure is currently undergoing testing on Earth.
The day before their scheduled return on November 5, the Shenzhou-20 crew noticed an anomaly on the edge of the window—a triangular spot resembling a paint stain. They photographed it from different angles and in different lighting conditions, and also used the cameras on the robotic arm to obtain additional exterior images.
The defect was later identified as "through cracks," according to Jia Shijin, chief designer of the manned spacecraft system at the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CAST). "The size of the space debris that damaged the window is estimated to be less than a millimeter, but it struck at an extremely high speed," the designer noted.
He said that after an initial analysis of the situation, specialists on Earth conducted extensive modeling and testing, and commissioned two research institutes to conduct wind tunnel tests for independent verification.
Jia Shijin explained that in the worst case, the cracks could widen, causing the outer glass to detach, which in turn would lead to high-temperature damage to the inner sealing glass, depressurization during re-entry during return to Earth, and penetration of high-speed airflow.
Guided by the principle of prioritizing the safety of astronauts, China has chosen an unprecedented procedure for alternative return and emergency launch.
Ji Qiming noted that the return of Shenzhou-20 without a crew will provide reliable and valuable experimental data for subsequent missions.
According to Wu Dawei, an employee of the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, four mice were also sent into space aboard Shenzhou-21. Initially, they were supposed to undergo an in-orbit experiment lasting five to seven days, but instead, they stayed there for about two weeks and returned with the Shenzhou-20 crew. All the mice returned healthy.
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