Chinese astronauts return to earth after spacecraft damaged by space debris • FRANCE 24 English

safely back home after their return capsule touched down in the Gobi Desert. After returning home aboard the Shenzhu 21 spacecraft, I feel truly at ease. The path of human space exploration is not smooth. It’s filled with difficulties and challenges. But that’s exactly why we choose to walk this path. This mission has been both a training opportunity and a real test. I’m very proud that we successfully completed the mission. The three-man crew of the Sheno 20 mission had been on a six-month rotation and were supposed to return on November 5th, 4 days after the new crew arrived to the space station. But they ended up being delayed by 9 days after the spacecraft they were going to travel back in was hit by space debris, causing tiny cracks to a viewport window. It’s believed there are millions of pieces of debris circling the earth at speeds faster than a bullet. When you’re traveling that fast, if you have a car crash, right, uh it’s 30,000 times as much energy as a car crash on the highway. And so even a tiny piece of debris is like a bullet going through and and can cause damage. The delay recalls the unexpected lengthy stay two NASA astronauts endured on the International Space Station when they encountered issues with their Boeing Starlininer capsule. At the time, Chinese experts said Beijing would never let their astronauts be stranded in space for 9 months. The current situation also highlights the growing threat posed by increasing amounts of space debris, one that’s only expected to get worse. For that reason, calls have been growing for international cooperation to be able to operate safely at these higher traffic levels in outer space. Same pressurees on

A three-person crew stranded at China’s space station after their spacecraft was apparently hit by space debris are to return Friday using the craft that brought their replacement crew.
#China #Astronaut #Space

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39 comments

  14. It's worth recalling that China tested space weapons in 2007, significantly contributing to the increase in space debris. They suffered because of themselves.

  18. Instead of being glad this person is safe and congratulating his country people turn everything into a competition. Human life is valuable, it's not easy to become an astronaut for most people it's a dream. Every time someone succeeds against such odds it a win for everyone on this planet. Wish him and his family well.

  20. China always got back up plans to deal with unexpected Events like the Sanctions and Tariff Wars in US with its ALLIES and the PIRACY IN NEDERLANDS Re Nexperia.🤔😏🤣🤣

  23. BBC/CNN/FOX/SKY/DW: Since Chinese agency has brought its astronauts back to the earth so quick, one 9 days but meanwhile it took us 9 months, they must hide something from this whole world. And more importantly, at what cost?

  27. They returned in the cheap Russian style, instead of the fashionable American Space Shuttle Style. I guess China has poverty issues and couldn't build a re-entry aircraft.

  35. No fund from cia or ngo, these media now produce some real news about china. China will progress no matter you say about.

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