Chinese astronauts’ return delayed after debris strike

The return of three Chinese astronauts from the Tiangong space station has been postponed after their Shenzhou-20 capsule was reportedly damaged by space debris, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Commander Chen Dong, along with crewmates Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, had been due to undock from Tiangong and land in Inner Mongolia on Wednesday. However, the CMSA announced the delay in a brief statement, instructing the astronauts—who have been in orbit since April 24—to remain aboard the station while engineers assess the situation.

Officials said the Shenzhou-20 capsule was “suspected of being struck by small space debris,” though they did not provide details about the impact or a revised return schedule. The agency is currently conducting an analysis to determine the extent of the damage.

The Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, which docked with Tiangong last week for a scheduled crew handover, remains available as a potential backup return vehicle if needed, in line with standard mission safety protocols.

During their six-month mission, the Shenzhou-20 crew carried out four spacewalks to install debris shielding and other external equipment. The incident highlights growing concerns about orbital congestion and the risks posed by space junk—defunct satellites, spent rocket parts, and other fragments that travel around Earth at high velocities.

While weather once delayed a prior Shenzhou mission, this marks the first known postponement of a crewed Chinese space return due to a suspected debris strike. The event follows similar challenges faced by other space agencies, such as NASA’s 2024 Boeing Starliner mission, where astronauts were stranded at the International Space Station for months after technical issues delayed their return.