“Shenzhou-22 and the Long March 2F [launcher] are already on standby,” Jun explained on Weibo. “They are in ‘emergency duty’ mode and ready to bring our astronauts home safely if needed.”
The Tiangong Space Station, launched in 2021, operates between 210 and 280 miles above Earth and is currently the only single-nation-operated station in orbit. Unlike the ISS, Tiangong is off-limits to U.S. collaboration due to a 2011 law banning NASA from bilateral projects with China for national security reasons.
Chinese Astronauts Stranded, Space Cooperation at a Crossroads
The incident underscores both the dangers of space debris and the fragmented nature of global space efforts. While SpaceX’s Dragon capsules are not compatible with Tiangong’s docking system, many experts view the situation as a potential opening for renewed international dialogue about emergency cooperation in orbit.
As the Shenzhou-20 team awaits assessment of their capsule’s integrity, global eyes are on both Beijing and SpaceX, hoping that technology — and perhaps diplomacy — can bring the three astronauts safely home.
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