神舟二十号
Shenzhou-20 is expected to return to Earth after the protective hardware installation.
Shenzhou-20's damaged spacecraft has been analyzed by the crew from the inside and will be inspected from the outside during the spacewalk.
Hardware for protecting Shenzhou-20’s damaged window was delivered via Shenzhou-22.
The tasks for the EVA will likely include an external inspection of the cracked window on the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft.
The EVA may involve patching a crack in the Shenzhou-20 window.
Shenzhou 20 was originally scheduled to depart from the Tiangong space station on November 5.
China plans to return the Shenzhou 20 spacecraft without astronauts due to a decision made by Ji Qiming, a spokesperson for the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
U.S. media outlet Space.com noted that the situation with Shenzhou 20 is similar to Starliner's, as there was no dedicated return mechanism.
Three astronauts who were initially supposed to return in Shenzhou 20 had no returning spacecraft available.
Astronauts aboard Shenzhou 20 returned to Earth on November 14 in a different spacecraft, Shenzhou 21.
Chinese Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) engineers noted that a high-speed collision with debris smaller than 1mm caused penetrative cracks in Shenzhou 20.
There is a risk that if Shenzhou 20 re-enters the atmosphere without repairs, the outer glass could detach, leading to cabin decompression and gas intrusion.
The damaged Shenzhou 20 will be returned to Earth for inspection to provide valuable data for future missions.
The date for Shenzhou 20's return has not been determined.
The viewport of Shenzhou 20 was damaged by what is believed to be the impact of space debris, making human flight deemed unsafe.
Images from inside the Shenzhou-20 capsule and via the space station’s robotic arm were sent to Earth for assessment.
Hypersonic airflow flooding the cabin is a potential consequence of a window failure in Shenzhou-20.
Shenzhou-20 will perform an uncrewed return to collect real-world data on how cracked structures behave during reentry.
On November 14, the Shenzhou-20 astronauts changed spacecraft and boarded Shenzhou-21.
Shenzhou-22 delivers a patch to help protect Shenzhou-20’s damaged window.