Three Chinese astronauts expecting a hero’s welcome home have been told to sit tight in orbit after their spacecraft was reportedly struck by space debris.
The crew of Shenzhou-20 were due to touch down this week after six months aboard the Tiangong space station, but China’s space agency says their return is now on hold while engineers assess the damage and check safety systems.
The China Manned Space Agency confirmed that the landing has been “postponed” following a suspected collision with a fragment of orbital debris. Officials said the impact did not immediately threaten the crew, but risk assessments are being carried out before any re-entry attempt is made.
Commander Chen Dong and his two crewmates had already completed their main mission and formally handed over control of the Tiangong station to their replacements aboard the newly arrived Shenzhou-21. State media reported that the two crews shared a “space BBQ” and exchanged mission logs before the unexpected incident disrupted the return schedule.
The crew taking over includes China’s youngest-ever astronaut, Wu Fei, aged 32, and a group of experimental “space mice” sent to study the long-term effects of microgravity, the near-weightless environment experienced in orbit where gravity’s pull is greatly reduced.
The setback comes as China steps up its space ambitions and looks to position Tiangong as a permanent outpost in low-Earth orbit.
While it can sound like something out of a sci-fi film, space junk is a real and growing problem. The race to space is speeding up, with more nations and private companies sending rockets and satellites into orbit every year. That means more clutter, more risk, and more chances for things to go wrong.
Meanwhile, Spain is also making its mark in this new space age, following a historic satellite launch that will boost national communications and research capabilities – Read more here.
