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Chinese experts said that Beijing would not let its space crew be stranded for so long as two United States astronauts finally returned to Earth after being stuck for nine months.
Newsweek has contacted the China National Space Administration for comment by email.
Why It Matters
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore returned from the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, riding a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule that landed off the coast of Florida. The pair arrived at the ISS in June last year, initially expecting a short stay.
Their intended ride home, a Boeing Starliner spacecraft, experienced technical failures. The astronauts agreed to remain aboard the ISS and help with scientific research until they could return aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule after spending 286 days in space.
What To Know
The news of the stranded U.S. astronaut duo returning home has made headlines in China, which is moving ahead with its goal of a manned moon landing before the end of this decade, as well as planning new missions to its space station, the Tiangong, this year.
The state-run China Central Television published an article on Wednesday titled "Why can the Chinese astronauts return to Earth from space missions on schedule?" It said Chinese netizens are curious whether the stranded situation would happen to the Tiangong.
"When any of our crews stay aboard the Tiangong space station for half a year, we ensure that there is a Long March 2F carrier rocket and a Shenzhou spacecraft on standby on the ground," said Yang Yuguang, chairman of the International Astronautical Federation's Space Transportation Committee, an international space advocacy organization.
"If our astronauts encounter danger in space, we only need a very short time to complete a comprehensive test of the rocket and spacecraft and then bring the astronauts home as quickly as possible," Yang said to China Central Television. Since its completion in 2022, the Tiangong has received four crewed missions and four spacecraft return missions.
Another Chinese space expert, Pang Zhihao, said in the report that the Chinese spacecraft is capable of returning to Earth autonomously in case of emergency. "The equipment on the Shenzhou spacecraft can automatically identify and handle faults," Pang added.
With regard to the health of the Williams and Wilmore, Pang said extended exposure to microgravity in the ISS "leads to muscle atrophy and bone density loss," the Global Times reported on Tuesday. This will also change the human body's blood distribution.
What People Are Saying
Chinese space expert Pang Zhihao told China Central Television on Wednesday: "When an emergency fault occurs during its autonomous flight, the [Shenzhou] spacecraft can return to the ground at any time."
Guancha, a Chinese news site, published a commentary on Wednesday: "From Starlink's expansion in space, to the daily transportation of the International Space Station, to the core system of the U.S. manned space mission, NASA is gradually losing its dominance in space, and SpaceX is taking its place."
What Happens Next
The space competition between China and the U.S. has intensified as President Donald Trump vowed to send astronauts to Mars, planting the Stars and Stripes on the planet.
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About the writer
Ryan Chan is a Newsweek reporter based in Hong Kong, where he previously had over a decade of experience at ... Read more