Two astronauts of the Shenzhou-21 mission made the first spacewalk, during which the damaged window of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft was examined and photographed, whose lander in early November was allegedly hit by a micrometeorite or space debris on the porthole, because of which the return of the crew on it became impossible.
During the exit, one of the astronauts, mounted on a robotic arm, approached the damaged porthole, took detailed photos and assessed the degree of damage. Next, they performed scheduled work on the outer surface of the "Tiangun": additional anti-fragment shields were installed (this is a regular task for all Chinese outlets) and replaced the multi-layer protective covers on the adapter of the station's thermoregulation system. The output lasted more than eight hours, and upon completion, both astronauts returned safely to the station. China Manned Astronautics Agency (CMSEO) did not publish photos of the damage in its official notice of withdrawal for unknown reasons. The agency informed, that in subsequent exits, the crew of "Shenzhou-21" will, if necessary, install additional protection on the damaged portholes of "Shenzhou-20".
China is now accelerating the production of the Shenzhou-23 and the Changzheng-2F launch vehicle: the ship should arrive at Jiuquan Cosmodrome already in January 2026 year - two months earlier than the original plan. The country plans to keep the Tiangong station permanently inhabited for at least ten years, and also expand it with new modules. At the end 2026 or at the beginning 2027 In 2018, China intends to launch the Hubble-class Xuntian Large Orbiting Telescope, which will be able to dock with the station for repair, maintenance and modernization.
Source: https://spacenews.com