Among the most common nightmares people have, being stranded hundreds of kilometers above Earth is clearly not one of the most usual ones, but that is what has happened to three Chinese astronauts, who have become involuntary protagonists of absolute panic. This time they were not forgotten, like what happens to Matt Damon in The Martian, but they have not been able to return.
The Shenzhou-20 mission was supposed to return in November, but an impact from space debris has hit the return capsule and made it impossible for them to come back home.
What happened up there
The astronauts are Wang Jie, Chen Zhongrui, and Chen Dong. They launched on April 24 toward the Tiangong space station. Everything was going according to plan until, just when it was time to prepare for the return, something strange happened. Chinese space authorities confirmed that there are indications that the capsule was affected by small fragments in orbit.
Something that did not seem very important, but it was enough to trigger all the alarms. They have to inspect, check, measure risks, and not rush the return.
Silence, caution, and nerves
For now, not many details have been given about what happened. The spacecraft data are being analyzed and, of course, the safety of the crew is now the absolute priority. Everything is being done in silence, and silence creates unease. That is normal. They have no other way to return to Earth than that capsule.
The problem of space debris
Both NASA and other organizations have been warning for years about the problem of space debris. Remains of satellites, rocket fragments, loose parts remain up there. There are millions of objects orbiting our planet at enormous speeds, and any object that can collide with a spacecraft hundreds of kilometers above Earth is, of course, a problem.
Even something the size of a screw can become an extremely dangerous projectile. It already happened when one of Tiangong’s solar panels was damaged by debris, causing a partial blackout. But we have learned nothing, because in addition to our oceans, we have also polluted Earth’s orbit.
Any collision can be lethal
In space there are no small impacts. Orbital speed means that a crack can open at any moment, and as you can imagine, capsules cannot have any damage because they need to withstand extreme pressures and temperatures.
That is why engineers prefer to wait, check several times, and delay whatever is necessary rather than take an unnecessary risk, because they work with no margin for error.
And how are the astronauts?
There are currently six astronauts on the Tiangong station after the rotation with the Shenzhou-21 mission. The three who were supposed to return have supplies, technical support, and room to remain in orbit longer. There is no immediate danger, although the situation is not very pleasant.
A warning for the whole planet
What happened with Shenzhou-20 is not only a problem for China, it is a warning for all space agencies, public or private, because no one is safe in an environment that is increasingly full of remains from other missions.
Managing space debris is an urgent matter, and coordination between all agencies and effective solutions are needed, and solutions that do not create more pollution, of course. For now, we are sending astronauts into space with the possible risk that debris from another mission could hit them. And a collision in space is not just anything.
It is useless to advance technologically if we are not securing the future for those who come after us. Let us hope that these three people can return home as soon as possible and that solutions are sought together to prevent this kind of problem in the future.