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).
(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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