About a month ago, three astronauts were stuck for nine days on China’s Tiangong space station due to a piece of space debris. Recently, the crew made some important updates to the station.
According to CGTN, astronauts Zhang Lu and Wu Fei completed an eight-hour spacewalk. They added protective panels to the outer hull of Tiangong and checked its exterior for any damage. These changes come after the China Manned Space Agency launched an emergency flight to deliver a new return vehicle, Shenzhou-22, after cracks were found in the originally intended return craft.
Space debris is becoming a serious problem for everyone in space exploration. A single piece of debris can travel at speeds of up to 15 km per second, which is over ten times faster than a bullet! There are currently more than 25,000 tracked pieces of debris floating around, and experts estimate there could be as many as 170 million smaller bits that we can’t even track. This poses a real threat to astronauts and equipment.
In the U.S., companies like Atomic-6 are developing “space armor.” This new material aims to protect satellites and spacecraft from the risks posed by space junk. For years, agencies have relied on Whipple shields, which are heavy barriers designed to deflect debris. However, these shields can create more debris when they break apart on impact.
The recent upgrades by the China Manned Space Agency could help protect against future issues, but the challenge of space debris is far from solved. It’s clear that as more countries venture into space, tackling this issue will be crucial for the safety of astronauts and all space missions.
For more insights into space debris management, check out NASA’s Orbital Debris Program.
