Space junk 'strands' Chinese in orbit

[Paul Nuttall]

A few days old now and the stories are still saying the Chinese astronauts are stranded....

One new thing I have seen is that it is being suggested it was debris from a Chinese ASAT test in 2007?

[jemhouston]

One can hope.

[Belushi TD]

One can hope?

One can hope what?

I'd not heard anything about this so far. Looks like an opportunity for SpaceX to go to the rescue again.

Belushi TD

[Paul Nuttall]

One can hope?

One can hope what?

I'd not heard anything about this so far. Looks like an opportunity for SpaceX to go to the rescue again.

Belushi TD

A possible SpaceX rescue was mentioned a couple of days ago.

[jemhouston]

One can hope?

One can hope what?

I'd not heard anything about this so far. Looks like an opportunity for SpaceX to go to the rescue again.

Belushi TD

The Chinese caused this mess.

[Micael]

As I understand it they plan to send up a backup capsule to retrieve their taikonauts.

[Belushi TD]

One can hope?

One can hope what?

I'd not heard anything about this so far. Looks like an opportunity for SpaceX to go to the rescue again.

Belushi TD

The Chinese caused this mess.

Oh, so they can't blame anyone else for the problem?

Belushi TD

[jemhouston]

One can hope?

One can hope what?

I'd not heard anything about this so far. Looks like an opportunity for SpaceX to go to the rescue again.

Belushi TD

The Chinese caused this mess.

Oh, so they can't blame anyone else for the problem?

Belushi TD

They'll still blame someone else for the problem. The more obvious the lie, the better.

[Micael]

Just in: CMSA announces that Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, carrying Shenzhou-20 astronauts, has departed the China Space Station at 03:14UTC. Landing planned around 08:30UTC.
The agency also disclosed that micro cracks were found in Shenzhou-20's porthole, deeming it unsafe for re-entry. But Shenzhou-20 will not be disposed of soon. It will instead stay docked with the space station as an experiment platform.

[Paul Nuttall]

Just in: CMSA announces that Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, carrying Shenzhou-20 astronauts, has departed the China Space Station at 03:14UTC. Landing planned around 08:30UTC.
The agency also disclosed that micro cracks were found in Shenzhou-20's porthole, deeming it unsafe for re-entry. But Shenzhou-20 will not be disposed of soon. It will instead stay docked with the space station as an experiment platform.

Sounds a bit strange leaving it docked if a porthole has cracks. Even if the hatch is kept locked, it is still going to have to be opened for moving experiments in and out??

[Belushi TD]

Just in: CMSA announces that Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, carrying Shenzhou-20 astronauts, has departed the China Space Station at 03:14UTC. Landing planned around 08:30UTC.
The agency also disclosed that micro cracks were found in Shenzhou-20's porthole, deeming it unsafe for re-entry. But Shenzhou-20 will not be disposed of soon. It will instead stay docked with the space station as an experiment platform.

Sounds a bit strange leaving it docked if a porthole has cracks. Even if the hatch is kept locked, it is still going to have to be opened for moving experiments in and out??

Ehhhh... maybe? I'm not familiar enough with how they make those things. It may be fine for zero pressure, but they're concerned that during reentry, the heat could make it shatter and expose whatever inner glass or workings to the reentry heat.

Belushi TD