Chinese astronauts' return to Earth delayed after space debris suspected to hit Shenzhou 20
The China Manned Space
[#Shenzhou 20th issue 载人飞... - @载人空天小喇叭's Weibo - Weibo
https://weibo.com/2196038737/Qcp7kEdlS
Space junk may have struck a Chinese crew ship in low-Earth orbit - Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/11/landing-postponed-for-chinese-astronauts-after-suspected-space-debris-strike/
Three Chinese astronauts stranded on Tiangong space station after debris hits their return capsule | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-in-space-after-debris-hits-their-return-capsule
China's manned spacecraft, Shenzhou 20, which was launched on April 24, 2025, is suspected of colliding with space debris, and the CMSA has announced that it will postpone the Shenzhou 20 return mission. CMSA is currently investigating the exact cause of the accident, but at the time of writing, there is no information available about the extent of the damage to Shenzhou 20 or when the crew will return to Earth.
Shenzhou 20 carried three astronauts, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie, who had been living at Tiangong, a space station operated by China, since April 24. Shenzhou 21 was launched on October 31, 2025, and the three astronauts who had arrived at Tiangong on Shenzhou 20 were scheduled to continue their mission there and return to Earth on November 5, 2025.
CMSA noted that crash analysis and risk assessments are being conducted to ensure the health and safety of all six astronauts aboard Tiangong, but other details remain unclear.
The Shenzhou 20 spacecraft, which was struck by space debris, is believed to still be docked to the space station since arriving at Tiangong on April 24. According to Ars Technica, Shenzhou 20 is composed of three separable sections: the power and propulsion module, the crew living space, and the parachute-assisted return module.
If any of these sections are deemed unsafe, Shenzhou 20 could be ejected without the astronauts and returned to Earth. Reuters reports that under CMSA guidelines, the Shenzhou 20 crew will return to Earth in the Shenzhou 21 return module.
Chen Dong, commander of Shenzhou 20, has broken the record for the longest total number of days in space by a Chinese astronaut with his ongoing mission. Chen Dong has now spent over 400 days in space, a record that will be broken again with the postponement of his return. The current record for the longest total number of days in space is held by Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, who spent 1,111 days.
Astronauts in space suffer irreversible bone loss after just six months - GIGAZINE
This is not the first time that Tiangong has been affected by space debris. In 2023, space debris collided with one of Tiangong's solar panels, causing a partial power outage. In response to this, Tiangong has apparently installed shielding to protect astronauts from space debris during extravehicular activities.
The amount of space debris orbiting the Earth is increasing rapidly as the number of spacecraft orbiting the Earth increases. Some experts are concerned that if this situation continues, collisions of space debris could cause a chain reaction that could render low Earth orbit unusable, a phenomenon known as the 'Kessler Syndrome.'
What is the 'Kessler Syndrome' that accelerates the increase in space debris floating around the Earth? - GIGAZINE
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