3 Chinese Astronauts Stranded After Space Debris Hits Return Capsule

Three Chinese astronauts currently aboard the Tiangong space station have been forced to delay their return to Earth after their spacecraft was reportedly struck by a piece of space debris.

The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) confirmed on Wednesday that the Shenzhou-20 crew’s return capsule suffered a suspected impact just hours before its scheduled departure. In a statement released on Weibo, a chinese social media site, CMSA said an investigation was ongoing to determine the extent of the damage and to ensure the safety of all astronauts on board.

The three astronauts— Chen Dong, Wang Jie, and Chen Zhongrui — have been living on the Tiangong station since April 24. They were due to head home on November 5, following a smooth handover to the Shenzhou-21 crew, who arrived on October 31.

According to CMSA, engineers are now carrying out impact analysis and risk assessment to decide whether the damaged spacecraft can still be used for re-entry. For now, both crews, a total of six astronauts, remained safe inside the space station.

The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, which carried the trio to orbit earlier this year, consists of three sections, a power and propulsion module, crew living quarters, and a parachute-assisted return module.

According to Reuters, if any of these sections are deemed unsafe, the spacecraft will likely be ejected and returned to Earth without the astronauts. In this case, China National Space Administration (CNSA) guidelines suggest that the Shenzhou-20 crew will return to Earth on board the Shenzhou-21 return module, which will, in turn, be replaced by another spacecraft that CMSA keeps on standby.

Despite the incident, the mission has already set a new record for China’s space program. One of the astronauts on board, Chen Dong has now spent more than 400 days in space, the longest cumulative time by any Chinese astronaut. His extended stay means that record will continue to grow.

This development also mirrors challenges faced by other space programs. In 2023, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio spent 371 days in space after his return capsule was damaged by a micrometeoroid, setting a record for the longest single mission by an American. Earlier this year, NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams also faced extended stays due to technical issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft.

For now, CMSA officials have not given a new timeline for when the Shenzhou-20 crew will begin their return journey.