The return of three Chinese astronauts from the Tiangong space station has been postponed indefinitely. The delay follows a suspected impact from a small piece of orbital debris on their Shenzhou-20 spacecraft.
The crew, who launched to the station in April, were scheduled to conclude their six-month mission and return to Earth this week. Their replacements, the Shenzhou-21 crew, had already arrived at the orbital outpost over the weekend to begin the handover process.
In a statement, the China Manned Space Agency cited the suspected debris strike as the reason for the postponement. “To ensure the health and safety of the astronauts and the successful completion of the mission, it has been decided that the originally planned return… will be postponed,” the agency said. An assessment of the damage and associated risks is currently underway.
The exact timing of the incident was not disclosed. Reports earlier this week indicated normal operations, including a shared meal between the two crews featuring baked chicken prepared in the station’s first oven. A formal handover ceremony was also reported.
Aerospace commentators noted that contingency plans are in place. One prominent science communicator stated that if the risk assessment deems the primary spacecraft unsafe for re-entry, a backup Shenzhou-22 spacecraft and its launcher are on standby for a potential rescue mission.
The commander of the delayed crew, Chen Dong, is a veteran astronaut who holds national records for the most cumulative time in space and the most spacewalks conducted.
China’s space program continues its ambitious trajectory, with dozens of launches conducted and a stated goal of landing astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade. The Tiangong station is positioned as a platform for future international cooperation in space.