China's Shenzhou-20 crew remains on the Tiangong space station after suspected space debris hit their return craft, now prompting online calls for SpaceX and Elon Musk to step in. The three astronauts, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, were due to return this month but engineers are still assessing the damage.
Technical and political barriers
However, a Crew Dragon rescue is unlikely. SpaceX has no standby spacecraft, upcoming missions are booked into 2026, and Tiangong's docking system is not compatible with Dragon hardware. A spacewalk transfer is also impossible due to suit incompatibilities.
China could instead launch Shenzhou-22 early, as the crew faces no immediate danger and Tiangong cannot support more than three astronauts long term. An incident that underscores growing concerns over space debris and the lack of standardized systems for cross-agency rescue operations. What do you think about this?
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