Three Chinese astronauts—Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie—have had their planned six-month mission extended after officials said the Shenzhou-20 return vehicle may have been struck by debris. The National Space Administration said impact analysis and risk assessments are underway but did not provide a timeline for re-entry. The delay follows the recent arrival of a new crew aboard Shenzhou-21, and Chinese authorities emphasize the postponement is to protect crew safety. No further details about damage have been released.
Chinese Astronauts’ Return Delayed After Suspected Debris Strike on Shenzhou-20 — Safety Checks Underway
Three Chinese astronauts—Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie—have had their planned six-month mission extended after officials said the Shenzhou-20 return vehicle may have been struck by debris. The National Space Administration said impact analysis and risk assessments are underway but did not provide a timeline for re-entry. The delay follows the recent arrival of a new crew aboard Shenzhou-21, and Chinese authorities emphasize the postponement is to protect crew safety. No further details about damage have been released.
13:11, 05.11.2025Science
Return to Earth Postponed While Shenzhou-20 Is Inspected
Three Chinese crew members—Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie—have been asked to extend what was planned as a six-month mission after China’s space agency said their Shenzhou-20 return vehicle may have been struck by orbital debris.
The National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Wednesday that "the impact analysis and risk assessment are under way," but provided no immediate details about the nature of any damage or how long inspections might take. No new date has been set for the crew’s return to Earth.
"We are about to return to Earth, and now I am handing over the hatch key that symbolizes the right to maintain operations on this Chinese space station to you," Chen Dong said at a recent handover ceremony—remarks made before the postponement was announced.
Chen, Chen Zhongrui and Wang launched from China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in April and had already handed over station responsibilities to a newly arrived crew. State broadcaster CCTV aired footage of both teams signing documents on a floating board inside a cramped module during the handover.
New crew, continued growth in China’s human spaceflight program
The announcement came days after the successful launch of Shenzhou-21, a newer spacecraft model that carried the next rotation of astronauts to the Tiangong space station. Among the arrivals was 32-year-old Wu Fei, promoted in Chinese media as the country’s youngest astronaut to reach orbit.
China’s space program has made rapid advances in recent years, including setting a new record for a long-duration spacewalk of roughly nine hours. Officials say Tiangong will also open to foreign visitors, with plans to host an astronaut from Pakistan next year.
International context and related mission challenges
The developments in China’s program have drawn attention in Washington, where U.S. policymakers are racing to return astronauts to the Moon. Past U.S. administrations placed limits on bilateral cooperation with China in human spaceflight, and the U.S. space agency has recently faced its own crew-return challenges: a planned Boeing Starliner return mission malfunctioned last year, ultimately requiring Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to return aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon months later.
Safety first: Chinese authorities say the postponement is intended to protect the health and safety of the crew while engineers complete impact analysis and risk assessments. Officials have not yet said whether the suspected strike caused structural or systems damage, or when a safe re-entry window might be scheduled.
We will update this story as CNSA releases more detailed findings from its inspections and risk assessment.