Name: Three Chinese astronauts stranded in space after capsule damage
Uploaded: 2025-11-12T10:20:18.082Z
Duration: 2 min 21 s
Description: Three astronauts remain stuck in space after their return capsule was damaged by orbital debris—delaying their journey home.

Three astronauts remain stuck in space after their return capsule was damaged by orbital debris—delaying their journey home.

Beijing

Three Chinese astronauts scheduled to return from the Tiangong space station have had their mission extended after their Shenzhou-20 spacecraft was struck by a small piece of orbital debris. The incident occurred just before their planned departure, prompting China's space agency to postpone their return and begin an assessment of the damage and associated risks.

Authorities have activated an emergency plan, with the damaged Shenzhou-20 capsule likely to return to Earth without its crew. A replacement spacecraft is reportedly being prepared, while the situation highlights ongoing concerns about the growing problem of space debris in low Earth orbit.

Three Chinese astronauts stranded in space after capsule damage

Astronauts on board China's Tiangong space station celebrated their colleagues' scheduled departure by conducting what they say was the first ever barbecue in space. The three members of China's Shenzhou-20 mission were due to return to Earth after a six-month rotation, handing over the vessel to the next crew. We are about to return to Earth, and now I hand over the hatch key, symbolizing our responsibility for the Chinese space station to you. I hope that in the next six months, you will work efficiently and live healthily. But just before they were due to leave, China's space agency released a statement announcing their return was postponed, saying their spacecraft had been struck by a small piece of orbital debris. An assessment of the impact and associated risk is currently underway. Experts say the incident highlights how much of a problem debris in space has become. Some of it is parts of rockets that are jettisoned after launch, as well as obsolete satellites and fragments that get stuck in orbit. And space launches by the US, China and other countries are becoming more frequent. There are maybe 140 million pieces of space debris in orbit, and most of those are in low orbit, which is where Tiangong and Shenzhou are operating. Most of these pieces are extremely small. They might be pieces of paint or tiny pieces of metal that have come off of spacecraft. But because the speed is so fast, when they hit something, it can still be very dangerous. It's unclear when exactly the collision took place, or when the crew members are likely to return. The mission's commander, Chen Dong, already holds a Chinese record for spending the most days in space, more than 400. Glitches in space are not uncommon. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams returned to Earth in March after being stuck on board the International Space Station for nine months after technical problems delayed the end of their week-long mission. Chinese authorities say an emergency plan has been activated, and the damaged Shenzhou 20 ship is likely to return to Earth without a crew. A new craft is reportedly being made ready. Katrina Yu, Al Jazeera, Beijing.

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