China will boost its space debris processing for astronauts after some power loss at its Tiangong space station, according to state media.
Astronauts on the Shenzhou 17 mission conducted two orbiters outside the Tiangong space station this winter, as recently as March 1. hitting debris.
These space systems have been a success, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said Wednesday (April 24) in a press conference reported by the state news agency Xinhua. The agency also plans to do more in the future to guard against problems in orbit.
“The main module of the Tianhe space station lost power supply due to the impact of the solar wing debris,” Xinhua reported, citing CMSA deputy director Lin Xiqiang.
Related: Watch Chinese astronomers repair solar wing of Tiangong space station on 8-hour tour (video)
Xinhua did not specify whether the debris was from micrometeoroids or human activities in space. Both types of debris pose threats to Tiangong as well as the International Space Station (ISS).
Man-made orbital debris is growing: The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is tracking more than 43,000 space objects in total as of April 2024, according to SpaceTrack.org. As for operational satellites, there are more than 7,500 as of May 2023, according to the Union for Concerned Scientists – most of them members of SpaceX’s giant Starlink broadband megaconstellation.
ISS commanders, working with NORAD, have had to move the space station out of the way of debris more than 30 times since its first modules were launched in 1998. The instructions are strict, requiring that There will be a system if any debris reaches the “pizza box” about 2.5 miles by 30 miles by 30 miles (4 by 50 by 50 kilometers) and the ISS station, according to station officials.
China’s space station has also “many times activated signals to avoid space effects”, according to the Xinhua report, and Lin spoke about several measures CMSA is taking to prevent future problems. (The first Tiangong item, the main module of Tianhe, announced in 2021.)
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“China has improved its ability to predict the movements of space and small targets on the ground, developed systems for space collision warning and avoidance, and reduced the false alarm rate by 30 %, according to Lin,” Xinhua wrote. without revealing specifics.
Next steps include further video inspection of Tiangong using a high-definition camera on its robotic arm and providing the Shenzhou 18 crew (scheduled for launch on Thursday, April 25) with input recommendations other. “They will be tasked with installing debris protection equipment for pipes, cables and critical equipment during their outdoor activities,” Xinhua reported.
NASA operates separately from China in space affairs due to a 2011 order known as the Wolf amendment, which prohibits bilateral agreements and coordination between NASA and Chinese government agencies without express permission from the Congress.
Recently, NASA and China have been establishing independent alliances for lunar exploration: about 40 countries have signed up to NASA’s Artemis Accords, and Sweden, Slovenia and Switzerland have all joined in recent days. China, working with Russia, announced Wednesday three new partners for its alliance: Nicaragua, the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization and the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Science.
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