How China Rescued Its Astronauts in Record Time
Last year, Boeing found itself at the center of a major crisis with its Starliner spacecraft. After discovering critical leaks and thruster failures, NASA took months deliberating, testing, and analyzing safety protocols before determining that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams would not be returning in their ship. Instead, they would wait for SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission. In contrast, China faced a similar situation recently, resolving it in just a matter of days. The urgency behind this rapid response is noteworthy.
A Cracked Window: The Catalyst
On November 5, news emerged that the crew of the Shenzhou-20 mission, comprising Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie, discovered small cracks in the external glass of one of the capsule’s windows during pre-undocking inspections. These cracks raised alarms about the spacecraft’s integrity. Engineers from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) conducted simulations and analyzed photographs, concluding that micrometeoroids or tiny fragments of space debris likely caused the damage. Faced with the realization that the capsule “did not meet the conditions for a safe manned return,” the urgency to act became paramount.
The Game of Chairs in Orbit
Unlike the expansive International Space Station, which can accommodate multiple astronauts, the Tiangong space station is not designed for six astronauts in the long term. This limitation compelled the rapid return of the Shenzhou-20 crew. Fortunately, the CMSA maintains an emergency-ready Shenzhou ship and CZ-2F rocket on standby, which is critical during such crises. However, the CMSA decided against launching the new Shenzhou-22 spacecraft for this return, citing that it contained instrument upgrades the outgoing crew had not been trained to operate.
A Swift Solution: Changing Seats
To expedite the return of the crew, the CMSA opted to utilize the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, which had recently arrived with three additional astronauts. This involved a literal “change of chairs,” as the adapted seats from the Shenzhou-20 were transferred to the Shenzhou-21. While effective, this decision came with risks, leaving the three members of Shenzhou-21 in a vulnerable position aboard a potentially compromised spacecraft.
Summary: A Safe Landing in Days
On November 14, the three Shenzhou-20 astronauts returned safely to Earth, a feat accomplished much sooner than NASA’s lengthy process with Boeing or the Russian Soyuz MS-22 incident a year earlier. The rapid response was facilitated by the fact that the Tiangong station couldn’t support six personnel and that a replacement spacecraft was already on-site.
In conclusion, what took NASA months of risk analyses and public negotiations with Boeing, China managed in days, highlighting a streamlined approach to crisis management in space missions. The logistical sacrifice was significant, with the Shenzhou-21 crew giving up their “lifeboat” until the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft launches without a crew as a new return vehicle. Meanwhile, the Shenzhou-20 will return empty, allowing for an exploration of the damage on the ground.