Overview
- CMSA postponed the Nov. 5 landing after pre-return checks indicated Shenzhou-20 was hit by a small debris fragment, with damage details unreleased.
- The three astronauts—Wang Jie, Chen Dong and Chen Zhongrui—remain at Tiangong as officials analyze risk and set a new landing plan.
- Contingencies include using the already-docked Shenzhou-21 or launching a standby capsule that mission planners say could be ready within about eight days.
- Independent experts say the crew is likely safe because an alternate spacecraft is attached to the station if Shenzhou-20 cannot be used.
- Reporting notes this is the first known delay of a crewed return due to debris, underscoring LEO’s growing junk problem and prior incidents involving Tiangong.