By Sarah Jones,
Published by Daily Galaxy, 31 December 2025
A routine mission was derailed when a spacecraft suffered unexpected damage, the consequences were impossible to ignore.
Microscopic space debris cracked the window of China’s Shenzhou-20 spacecraft in November 2025, delaying the crew’s return and triggering the country’s first emergency launch mission. The incident, sparked by a barely visible collision in orbit, has reignited growing concerns over the safety of spaceflight in an increasingly cluttered Earth orbit.
As orbital traffic continues to rise, space agencies and commercial operators are grappling with how to prevent small, fast-moving fragments from jeopardizing multi-billion-dollar missions and the lives aboard them.
Orbital Uncertainty And Fragile Knowledge
The emergency unfolded when astronauts aboard Shenzhou-20 were preparing to undock from China’s space station on November 5. Engineers identified cracks in the spacecraft’s viewport window, damage traced to a collision with unidentified orbital debris. Citing safety concerns, China opted not to use the vehicle for the crew’s return and instead launched the uncrewed Shenzhou-22 capsule on November 25.
The crew ultimately returned to Earth safely aboard the Shenzhou-21, marking the first time an alternative return procedure had been activated in the Chinese space program. The Shenzhou-20 event underscored a deeper flaw in how we manage orbital activity.
“A crew return was postponed because microscopic debris compromised a spacecraft window,” said Moriba Jah, professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.
The Illusion Of Control In An Overcrowded Orbit
The implications go beyond one incident. According to him, the real issue is the lack of a“continuous, verifiable understanding of what moves through orbit.” Jah described the growing risk as one of epistemic uncertainty, where gaps in global tracking and attribution leave engineers blind to fast-moving threats.
As Jah told Space.com, “every fragment we leave aloft adds to a rising tide of uncertainty.” He argues that this uncertainty is eroding safety margins, with knowledge about orbital environments decaying faster than it is replenished. Without reliable data sharing between nations and companies, similar near-misses could become routine.
Debris Is Piling Up, But Behavior Isn’t Changing
Experts estimate that nearly 130 million pieces of man-made debris are currently orbiting Earth. This includes fragments from rocket stage explosions, abandoned satellites, and pieces from hardware deployments. A significant portion of this debris comes from deliberate anti-satellite weapon tests, adding further volatility to an already hazardous orbital environment.
Darren McKnight, senior technical fellow at LeoLabs, said that 2025 saw some actors behaving responsibly. He cited Starlink, Iridium, and OneWeb as examples. But others, including China’s “Thousand Sails” constellation and its “Guowang” internet project, were reportedly deploying large numbers of satellites while abandoning rocket bodies at high altitudes.
As he noted, these behaviors increase the long-term risk in low Earth orbit. He emphasized that removing just the top ten statistically most concerning objects could cut debris-generating potential by 30%, yet such action remains rare.
“Some operators in low Earth orbit are ignoring known long-term effects of behavior for short-term gain,” he noted, comparing it to early-stage climate denial.
Even Space Is Not Immune to Environmental Impact
The consequences of space activity aren’t limited to orbital mechanics. The United Nations Environment Program released a report titled Safeguarding Space: Environmental Issues, Risks and Responsibilities, warning the space sector is facing a wider environmental reckoning. The report points to emissions from spacecraft and rockets, pollution in the stratosphere, and the potential chemical effects of reentering debris as emerging environmental challenges.
The report states that over 12,000 spacecraft have been deployed in the past decade alone, with many more on the way. This exponential growth not only increases collision risks but could also impact Earth’s atmospheric chemistry and dynamics. The UNEP is now calling for a multilateral and interdisciplinary approach to balancing the risks of orbital activity with the benefits of satellite services.
See: Original Article
