Chinese Astronauts' Return Delayed Due to Suspected Space Debris Impact
The return of three Chinese astronauts from the Tiangong space station has been postponed after their spacecraft was suspected to have been struck by space debris.
The return of three Chinese astronauts from the Tiangong space station has been postponed after their spacecraft was suspected to have been struck by space debris. The China Manned Space Engineering Office announced that the Shenzhou-20 crew is "in good condition, working and living normally."
The astronauts—Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie—were scheduled to return to Earth on November 5 after a six-month mission. However, the return was delayed due to a suspected collision with a small piece of space debris. The mission team is conducting tests and drills, and no new return date has been specified.
The Shenzhou-21 mission successfully docked with the Tiangong space station on November 1, bringing a new crew and, for the first time, a group of mice for experimental purposes.
China has been advancing its space program since 2003, constructing its own space station and aiming to land a human on the moon by 2030.