On December 2, 2025, China's Shenzhou-20 spacecraft sits docked atop the Chinese mainland's space station, poised for an uncrewed return to Earth later this month. This decision follows a suspected micrometeoroid strike that cracked the craft's main viewport, underscoring how even sub-millimeter debris can trigger historic twists in orbital missions.
In early November, Shenzhou-20's three astronauts – originally set to bring the capsule home on November 5 – spotted a triangular, paint-like mark on the viewport's edge. High-resolution photos from the crew and the station's robotic arm revealed penetrating cracks. Ground teams and two independent wind tunnel tests confirmed the damage was caused by debris smaller than a millimeter but traveling at extreme speeds.
Guided by a safety-first principle, mission planners rerouted the crew to Shenzhou-21, which safely returned them on November 14. Meanwhile, the Chinese mainland launched Shenzhou-22 on November 25 – the program's first-ever emergency launch – to deliver a fresh return vehicle and specialized repair tools.
The Shenzhou-21 crew, now starting a planned six-month stay in orbit, may soon perform an in-space inspection and protective work on Shenzhou-20's cracked viewport. Engineers on the ground are still validating the repair procedure, which could become a blueprint for future space-station maintenance.
Looking ahead, the upcoming uncrewed flight of Shenzhou-20 will yield real-world experimental data on high-speed debris impacts and in-orbit repair logistics. Insights from this mission will help shape the next generation of human spaceflight missions.
On a lighter note, four research mice hitchhiked to orbit aboard Shenzhou-21. Scheduled for a week-long experiment, they ended up circling Earth for about two weeks before returning healthy with Shenzhou-20's crew – a small but significant win for space biology.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
