China's stranded astronauts 'in good condition' after space debris delays return

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Associated Press
China's stranded astronauts 'in good condition' after space debris delays planned return
Associated Press
Tue, November 11, 2025 at 6:33 AM EST
1 min read



The Shenzhou-21 spacecraft sitting atop a Long March rocket covered on a launch pad is seen near the Chinese characters for launch, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)


BEIJING (AP) — The stranded crew of a Chinese space mission is "in good condition, working and living normally,” China's Manned Space Engineering office said on Tuesday.

The three astronauts on the Shenzhou-20 mission are facing a delayed return to Earth after their scheduled Nov. 5 return was aborted after their spacecraft was believed to have been struck by a small piece of space debris.

The return has been pushed back to an unspecified date, but the mission team is carrying out tests and drills, according to a statement issued by the space agency.

“The Shenzhou-20 crew is in good condition, working and living normally,” the statement said.

The three astronauts — Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie — traveld to the Tiangong space station in April and were finishing their six-month rotation.

The replacement Shenzhou-21 mission successfully docked with the space station on Nov. 1, carrying for the first time a group of mice for experiments.

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.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/chinas-stranded-astronauts-good-condition-113337642.html