Stranded Chinese space station crew to return Friday after debris strike

Stranded Chinese space station crew to return Friday after debris strike

China says the three astronauts stranded aboard its Tiangong space station after their return craft was damaged by space debris will finally return to Earth on Friday.

The crew—Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie—had been scheduled to depart four days after their replacements arrived on November 1. However, their planned return was aborted when the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, meant to ferry them home, was reportedly struck by a small piece of orbital debris.

According to state media, the astronauts will now return aboard Shenzhou-21, the same craft that transported the incoming crew.

READ ALSO:

• Three Nigerians arrested in Kenya over alleged cyberfraud
• Nigeria’s terrorists have no religion, says Christian pilgrims commission
• Jetour to showcase full SUV line-up, hybrid vehicles at 2025 Abuja motor fair

The trio, who travelled to Tiangong in April for a six-month rotation, remain “in good condition, working and living normally,” the China Manned Space Engineering Office said on Tuesday.

China has pushed ahead with its space ambitions since launching its first crewed mission in 2003. The country has since completed its own space station and set a target of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030.

The current Shenzhou-21 mission also marked a milestone for Chinese space science, carrying mice to Tiangong for biological experiments — a first for the programme.

Stranded Chinese space station crew to return Friday after debris strike

(Xinhua/NAN)