Beijing, Nov 5 (UNI/SPUTNIK) The return of China's Shenzhou-20 manned spacecraft from the Tiangong space station to Earth was postponed after space debris hit the spacecraft, the state-run China Central Television (CCTV) reported.
The Shenzhou-20 manned spacecraft is suspected to have been impacted by small space debris, and a collision risk analysis is currently underway, CCTV said, citing the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The return of three astronauts to Earth on board Shenzhou-20, originally scheduled for November 5, has been postponed, CCTV specified.
The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft arrived at the Tiangong space station on April 24. Astronaut Chen Dong commands the mission, which marks his third spaceflight, while crewmates Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie are on their first trips to orbit.
China launched the Shenzhou-21 manned spacecraft mission on October 31, which brought three astronauts to the Tiangong space station, to replace Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie.
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