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Stranded Chinese astronauts ‘in good condition,’ officials say after space debris delays return

Chinese astronauts attend a send-off ceremony for the Shenzhou 20 space mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, on April 24, 2025.
Chinese astronauts attend a send-off ceremony for the Shenzhou 20 space mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, on April 24, 2025. Copyright  Andy Wong/AP Photo
Copyright Andy Wong/AP Photo
By Euronews
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The astronauts’ scheduled return to Earth was aborted earlier this month.

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 5 November 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 – travelled 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 1 November, 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.

Additional sources • AP

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