Return of Chinese astronauts delayed after spacecraft struck by debris

"The return to Earth of three Chinese astronauts has been delayed until an unspecified date after their spacecraft was apparently struck by a small piece of debris, according to Chinese state media. The three astronauts from the Shenzhou-20 mission flew to the Tiangong space station in April, and were expected to return on Wednesday at the end of a six month mission. Their replacements, the crew of Shenzhou-21, had already arrived on the weekend."

"The Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft is suspected to have been struck by a small piece of orbital debris, and assessment of the impact and associated risks is currently under way, said the China Manned Space Agency in a statement. To ensure the health and safety of the astronauts and the successful completion of the mission, it has been decided that the originally planned return of Shenzhou-20 on November 5 will be postponed."

"There was no indication of any issues earlier this week, with state media reporting on the two crews enjoying a meal of baked chicken cooked on the space station's first ever oven, delivered by the Shenzhou-21 team. On Tuesday the two teams were reported to have conducted a handover ceremony, with videos posted to social media. A popular aerospace and science communicator, Yu Jun, who posts under the name Steed's Scarf, said if the assessments determine it's too high risk for the spacecraft to return,"

Three astronauts on Shenzhou-20 will remain aboard the Tiangong space station after their planned return was postponed following an apparent strike by a small piece of orbital debris. The China Manned Space Agency said assessment of the impact and associated risks is under way and that the originally planned November 5 return will be postponed to protect astronaut health and mission success. The Shenzhou-21 replacement crew has already arrived and conducted a handover; crews shared a meal cooked in the station’s first oven. Officials and commentators say contingency Shenzhou-22 and a Long March 2F launcher are on standby as backups.

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