What is the harm of space debris colliding with the Shenzhou 20 manned spacecraft: it can cause fatal damage to the spacecraft

On November 5th, according to media reports, the Shenzhou 20 manned spacecraft is suspected to have been hit by small space debris and is undergoing impact analysis and risk assessment. To ensure the life, health, and safety of astronauts and the successful completion of the mission, it has been decided through research that the Shenzhou-20 return mission, originally scheduled for November 5th, will be postponed.

According to experts, the movement speed of space debris is generally 7 to 10 kilometers per second. Even small space debris with a diameter less than 1 centimeter can cause fatal damage to spacecraft due to the enormous kinetic energy brought by its extremely high speed.

Millimeter sized fragments can scratch spacecraft portholes and solar wings, leading to a decrease in transparency or damage to power efficiency; Centimeter sized fragments can directly penetrate the outer shell of spacecraft and penetrate key components such as fuel tanks and pipelines.

It is worth noting that various countries around the world are currently developing various technology solutions for actively removing space debris. For example, some spacecraft can release a flying net capture system to capture space debris and cause it to derail and burn.

The issue of space debris has global characteristics. To cope with the increasing amount of space debris, global cooperation is crucial. China continues to strengthen international cooperation and establish flight safety communication mechanisms with relevant agencies of major aerospace countries to jointly maintain the safety of spacecraft in orbit.