Kartavya Kant Tiwari

Chinese astronauts Chen Dong and Wang Jie completed a 6.5-hour spacewalk on Aug. 15 to bolster the Tiangong space station's debris shield. As part of the Shenzhou 20 crew, they also inspected and maintained exterior equipment during the EVA. State media noted this was at least the crew's second effort to install “debris protection” devices on the station (following a May 22 spacewalk). The EVA concluded at 9:27 a.m. EDT, making it Chen Dong's sixth spacewalk (the most by any Chinese astronaut) and the third for Shenzhou 20 overall. Launched from Jiuquan on April 24, the crew is now about halfway through its six-month mission. Debris Mitigation and International Cooperation: According to a 2022 government white paper, chinese officials emphasize space debris as a global concern. It pledges stronger space-traffic control and improved debris tracking and warning systems. It notes that China now passivates spent rocket stages and actively de-orbits retired spacecraft (such as t...