Taikonauts inspect cracked Shenzhou-20 window during Tiangong spacewalk

A pair of taikonauts ventured outside China's Tiangong space station this week to take a closer look at the cracked viewport window of the Shenzhou-20 vehicle. The two worked for approximately eight hours, assisted by the station's robot arm. In addition to tasks that included the installation of a debris protection device for …

[KittenHuffer]

So .....

..... did they only do the spacewalk for the crack? (phonetic joke!)

---------> Mine's the one that's spherical .... and in a vacuum!

[ecofeco]

Re: So .....

In space, no one can hear your bike.

[KittenHuffer]

Re: So .....

I must admit I don't get it ..... must be a cycle logical joke!

[that one in the corner]

Re: So .....

> for the crack? (phonetic joke!)

No need for phonetics - "the crack" (spelt just like that) is English in origin; North East, The Shields area. Hence the name of the NE "what's on" listings magazine, simply called "The Crack". What you referenced is a neologism after the word became popular after travelling to the Emerald Isle and "needed" to have an Irish spelling, especially when written outside Irish themed pubs in the south of England!

[NetMage]

“The second is the problem of debris itself. In 2022, a micrometeoroid punched a hole in the coolant system of Soyuz MS-22, rendering the craft unsafe for human use.”

There’s practically no chance that was caused by a micrometeoroid since the next Soyuz MS-23 had the exact same issue.

[KittenHuffer]

Perhaps they should check if the holes were drilled .... and then stop inviting the Russians over for a drink!

[steviebuk]

Oh so

its a tofu dreg space station.

[The commentard formerly known as Mister_C]

Don't forget the pound coin

The windscreen replacement people will need to see it in the photo so they can gauge how big the crack is before they send the repair van

[ComicalEngineer]

Duct tape

In my Landrover owning days there were two essentials:

A tin of WD40 for those things that didn't move and should move ...and ...

a roll of Duct Tape for those things that did move and shouldn't move.

A length of Duct Tape over the hole (inside) should sort it.

Job jobbed.

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Re: Duct tape

These days, a selection of cable ties are also handy to have in the emergency kit

[Oneman2Many]

Re: Duct tape

It is on the outer layer of a triple layered window so repairing it from the inside might be a bit tricky.

[collinsl]

Re: Duct tape

They should have duck taped over it during the spacewalk.

[MachDiamond]

Re: Duct tape

Bailing wire is also very handy.

[Gary Stewart]

ASAT tests?

Wouldn't it be ironic if the space debris was from one of the three ASAT tests China performed in 2009, 2010, and 2013? Of course I doubt this could be proved which is a shame as it just might dissuade them from planning to conduct any more of these tests in the future.

[frankvw]

Brave men and women

I salute these Taikonauts. They've got real courage. I mean, to venture into space and spend considerable time in orbit... using kit that's all made in China.

That's brave. I wouldn't...

[Alan Brown]

Re: Brave men and women

As opposed to something made by McBoing?

[Cliffwilliams44]

Why Windows!

Now that we have very small, very high-resolution cameras and flat screen monitors WTH does a space craft or station need a window for?!

Cameras and monitors are cheap so having backup units is not a concern!

[Gary Stewart]

Re: Why Windows!

I know, Linux is much better!

[MachDiamond]

Didn't happen

"The first is that, despite calls for SpaceX and Elon Musk to mount a rescue, "

That was only the fanbois. China has a backup contingency plan and never inquired having SpaceX send a Dragon. Not that SpaceX has Dragon capsules ready to go. Backups weren't in the NASA list of requirements to SX only builds them on a schedule to be ready for the next launch where they will be used. Elon was even threatening to not make anymore when he had that tiff with "he who must be orange". Gwynne is said to have casually mentioned that backing out of that contract could be bad and Man-Boy-Pig relented.