'Astronauts of China's Shenzhou 20 Returning to Earth Aboard Shenzhou 21 After Space Debris Collision'

'Plan B' Activated Due to Microcrack in Shenzhou 20 Return Capsule
Astronauts Returning to Earth Aboard Shenzhou 21 Capsule

The astronauts of China's Shenzhou 20 crewed spacecraft, whose return to Earth was delayed due to a collision with space debris, are returning to Earth aboard the return capsule of Shenzhou 21.

According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on November 14, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced at 11:14 a.m. that the Shenzhou 21 spacecraft, carrying the astronauts from Shenzhou 20, had successfully separated from China's own space station, Tiangong, and would soon return to Earth.

The Changzheng 2F rocket carrying Shenzhou 20 was launched on April 24 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center near Jiuquan, Gansu Province, China. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

The Shenzhou 21 return capsule is carrying three male astronauts from Shenzhou 20: Chen Dong (commander), Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie. Their condition is reported to be stable. The Shenzhou 21 return capsule will re-enter the atmosphere at the appropriate time under ground control and land at the Dongfeng Landing Site in Inner Mongolia.

Shenzhou 20 was launched on April 24 and docked with the Tiangong space station operated by China, where it remained for about six months. After completing their mission, which included scientific experiments and research, the Shenzhou 20 crew was originally scheduled to return to Earth on November 5 using the Shenzhou 20 return capsule. However, the schedule was postponed due to concerns about the safety of the Shenzhou 20 return capsule after it was found to have potentially collided with space debris.

The agency conducted a comprehensive assessment of the Shenzhou 20 return capsule's safety and discovered a microcrack in the pressure vessel. This crack is believed to have likely resulted from an external impact with space debris. As a result, the agency determined that the capsule did not meet safety requirements and decided to bring the crew back using the Shenzhou 21 return capsule instead.

Currently, millions of small fragments are orbiting Earth at speeds faster than a bullet, posing risks to satellites, space stations, and astronauts working nearby, according to AFP.

Meanwhile, Shenzhou 21, which was launched on October 31, successfully docked with the core module "Tianhe" of the space station the day after launch. Shenzhou 21 is carrying three male astronauts: Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang. After replacing the Shenzhou 20 crew, they will remain on Tiangong for six months, carrying out tasks such as spacewalks, cargo loading and unloading, installing debris protection devices, and retrieving external equipment. For the first time, space science experiments will be conducted on rodent mammals, with two female and two male mice also aboard the spacecraft.