Comments on: China begins hurried preparations to launch rescue Shenzhou capsule to Tiangong-3

By: Dick Eagleson

Dick Eagleson — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 09:37:53 +0000

Jeff Wright,

The PRC has “embraced” hypergolics for decades. Its newer rockets are all LOX-hydrocarbon (kerosene or methane) as the sea-level ISPs are better and the propellants are much cheaper.

You seem to assume the PRC could have arranged access to the RD-270 tech two or more decades ago. Why do you think that? For that matter, why do you think the PRC could have gone to the Moon earlier?

By: pzatchok

pzatchok — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 03:02:27 +0000

I bet some spy/intelligence organization out there has the plans for the Chinese docking collar.
I bet someone could even buy it from someone in China if they had to.

I wonder if the Russians have the plans.

It could even be possible that an adapter is already made and sitting on someones shelf just in case.

You could also assume that someone is sitting on the radio traffic between the station and China.

Come on man We can hide alien spaceships and the fact that Trump is really a South American Drug lord eliminating his rivals. Why not a little radio interception.

By: Jeff Wright

Jeff Wright — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 02:05:38 +0000

They have a lot of brands in the fire. They could easily be much farther ahead had they simply embraced hypergolics.

RD-270 is similar to Raptor, yet needs no spark plug, as it were.

Nine of those and they could have had an SHLLV 20 years ago had they not diversified. They believe in having good rocketry across the board, but that should have waited.

Had they went to the Moon earlier, we would have responded earlier and the current political mess avoided.

By: mkent

mkent — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 01:55:27 +0000

Shenzhou-22 is currently scheduled to launch November 24th our time.

”Can Dragon dock with the Chinese station?”

No.

By: pzatchok

pzatchok — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 01:16:39 +0000

I figured that if they let hem out you would find them. thanks.

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 23:56:27 +0000

In reply to pzatchok. pzatchok: No. As I said, China's state-run press has been robustly lacking in details.

By: pzatchok

pzatchok — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 23:48:04 +0000

Any pictures of the damage.

By: Richard M

Richard M — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 22:58:46 +0000

We were likely lucky that none of the ISS assembly missions that the Space Shuttle flew in 2005-2011 sustained compromising damage to its heat shield or wings on launch — NASA calculates that the odds of a loss of crew event were 1 in 90 at this point, and loss of mission even worse — but if it had, those astronauts would have been in the same position as the Chinese taikonauts. Because even though NASA had instituted “launch on need” (LON) Shuttles to fly up for a rescue on short notice, with the idea that the astronauts would at least be able to use the station as a “safe haven.” But they’d still have had to wait 40 days for that rescue, and in the meantime, they’d be toast if the station sustained any serious damage.

It was better than nothing, I suppose, but it is one more reason we should be thankful we’re flying Crew Dragon now and not the Shuttle.

By: David Eastman

David Eastman — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 22:07:01 +0000

Getting a replacement capsule up to the station ASAP to handle any emergency is obviously the priority. Even if the odds of needing a lifeboat are low, they clearly and sensibly don’t want to take that risk. But I’m curious what impact that will have on the NEXT mission. They’ve effectively discarded one capsule as unsafe to use, then used the one slated for the next crew rotation as the back-up, and will be using the one slated for the crew rotation after that for the current mission. How long will it take them to refill the pipeline? Will they be able to build and prepare the capsules and rockets to stay on a normal crew rotation schedule, is a crew going to do a long mission, or will they end up having to leave the station uncrewed for a few months sometime soon?

By: Jay

Jay — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 21:59:21 +0000

Good question M Puckett. Since the Chinese copied the Russian designs, it is the APAS docking sytem. which is kind of compatible with the International Docking System Standard (IDSS) that pretty much everyone is using. Even India is making their docking system IDSS compliant on the Gaganyaan and BAS spacecraft, which are copies of Soyuz and Saylut/Mir stations.

Not many people know if China’s docking system is compatible with IDSS, but I bet it is with modifications.

By: M Puckett

M Puckett — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 17:38:34 +0000

Can Dragon dock with the Chinese station?

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 15:21:02 +0000

In reply to Ray Van Dune. Ray Van Dune: China ain't saying. It has been bluntly silent on details.

By: Ray Van Dune

Ray Van Dune — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 15:17:19 +0000

What are the chances that the port’s cracking was caused by a failure, not an impact? The size of that window is very tiny compared to the overall surface area of the spacecraft (and station). Are there any other pockmarks, or just on that tiny porthole? The probabilities seem off. And is the pressure in the docked craft holding?

By: Richard M

Richard M — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:06:48 +0000

Since the first space station, Salyut-1, was launched and occupied in 1971, this is the first time that a crew has been in space with absolutely no way to get home.

It was bound to happen to someone at some point. And so, here we are.

Here’s hoping that CMSA can get a Shenzou up there quickly – and without any damage. Honestly, it’s impressive that they are in a position to do it that fast.