Chinese astronauts stranded in area after ‘unknown object’ hits capsule
Three Chinese astronauts have been left stranded after their return capsule was struck by an ‘unknown object’.
The astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie have been aboard the Tiangong space station, dubbed the “Heavenly Palace”, since earlier this year.
China’s Manned Spaceflight Agency (CMSA) believe it had been struck by a small piece of debris.
Their return, originally scheduled for Wednesday (November 5), will be pushed back to an unspecified date, according to state broadcaster CCTV, which offered no further details.
The three astronauts are from the Shenzhou-20 mission flew to the Tiangong space station in April and were finishing their six-month rotation.
Their replacements on the Shenzhou-21 mission have already successfully docked onto the space station on Saturday (November 1).
![TOPSHOT - CORRECTION / (L-R) Astronauts for China's Shenzhou-20 space mission Wang Jie, Chen Zhongrui, and Chen Dong wave during a departure ceremony before boarding a bus to take them to the Shenzhou-20 spaceship at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi desert in northwest China on April 24, 2025. China will send a new team of astronauts to its space station on April 24, as the country marches towards its ambition of becoming a space power to rival the dominance of the United States. (Photo by Pedro Pardo / AFP) / "The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Pedro Pardo has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: corrects order of astronauts from left to right. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require." (Photo by PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images)](https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article36199772.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_TOPSHOT-CORRECTION-CHINA-SPACE.jpg)
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
CMSA said “The Shenzhou-20 manned spacecraft is suspected of being hit by a tiny piece of space debris, and an impact analysis and risk assessment are under way.
“To ensure the safety and health of the astronauts and the success of the mission, it has been decided that the Shenzhou-20 return mission, originally scheduled for 5 November, will be postponed.”
China has made steady progress with its space program since 2003. It has built its own space station and has a goal of landing a person on the moon by 2030.
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