Chinese astronauts had to climb outside the space station to inspect a cracked window caused by debris

Chinese astronauts were forced to climb outside their space station after a cracked window was discovered on a docked spaceship.

The damage was found on a Shenzhou return capsule attached to China’s Tiangong space station.

Officials believe that the crack was caused by fast-moving space debris hitting the craft while it was floating about in orbit. The discovery prompted an urgent inspection to assess the risk to both the crew and the station.

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These brave Chinese astronauts climbed outside the space station

Some brave Chinese astronauts faced what has to be one of their worst nightmares when they spotted a crack in a window on their return capsule.

The damaged window was spotted during routine inspections after the Shenzhou return capsule docked with the space station.

While it did not pose an immediate danger, the damage raised concerns about whether the capsule could safely return astronauts to Earth.

Mission planners quickly ruled out using the spacecraft for re-entry until further checks were completed. Which meant the astronauts would be up there until further notice.

To better understand the damage, two astronauts carried out a long spacewalk outside the Tiangong space station.

During the mission, they carefully examined and photographed the cracked window from the exterior.

The walk lasted several hours and required precise movements as the astronauts worked in the vacuum of space.

The data collected during the spacewalk will help engineers determine how severe the impact was. It will also guide formal decisions on whether the spacecraft can be repaired or if it will remain permanently docked.

Cracked window caused by debris raises safety concerns

Space debris has become a growing threat as Earth’s orbit becomes increasingly crowded and full of traffic.

Even extremely small fragments can cause serious damage when traveling at very high speeds; a piece of debris no bigger than a grain of sand can crack reinforced windows or compromise spacecraft systems.

The incident highlights the challenges space agencies face as more missions and satellites are launched.

Protecting astronauts and spacecraft from debris is becoming more complex, and problems like this show how quickly routine missions can turn into serious safety situations in space.