China Is Reinforcing Its Space Station Against Potential Impacts Following the Explosion of a Russian Satellite

China is taking steps to protect its Tiangong Space Station after a defunct Russian satellite broke apart into more than 100 pieces.

A six-and-a-half-hour extravehicular activity. During the Shenzhou-18 mission, astronauts Li Cong and Ye Guangfu conducted a six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk to install protective devices on the space station’s exterior.

The South China Morning Post reports that these panels are designed to reduce the risk of collision with space junk, enhancing the station’s long-term safety and stability.

The International Space Station (ISS) also utilizes ballistic panels to shield itself from satellite fragments, rockets, and small meteoroids. At a speed of 17,400 mph, even a small object could seriously threaten astronauts in low Earth orbit.

A crane to lift astronauts. During extravehicular activity, Li was towed by the Tiangong station’s robotic arm to points where he installed protective devices while fellow astronaut Ye handed him the equipment.

“Whenever the robotic arm sent me to high points, despite the glaring sunlight, I [couldn’t] help but want to take a closer look,” Li, who had to focus on the Wentian and Tianhe modules, said, according to the South China Morning Post.

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Li Guangu, the third crewmember of the Shenzhou-18 spacecraft, was overseeing operations from the Tianhe core module on the Chinese space station. The spacewalk went smoothly.

A Russian satellite has increased the urgency of the situation. This isn’t the first time the Shenzhou-18 crew has worked on installing protective shields. On May 28, they completed an eight-and-a-half-hour spacewalk, setting a record.

However, Russia’s Resurs-P1 satellite's recent in-orbit explosion accelerated the installation of protectors. Despite being out of fuel for years, the satellite disintegrated into over 100 traceable pieces.

On the day of the satellite’s collapse, the nine astronauts on the ISS had to take immediate shelter in spacecraft docked at the station: four on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, three on the Russian Soyuz, and two on Boeing’s newly launched Starliner.

Image | CNSA | Xinhua

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