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China to Bring Shenzhou-20 Crew Home Friday on Docked Shenzhou-21

The switch follows safety checks prompted by a suspected debris strike on the original return craft.

Image
FILE - Chinese astronaut for the Shenzhou 20 mission, Chen Dong, center, speaks next to his comrades Chen Zhongrui, right, and Wang Jie as they attend a send-off ceremony for their manned space mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, file)
Crew members of Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 signing documents for work handover on board the Tiangong space station on November 4, 2025.
A Long March-2F rocket carrying the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft takes off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center for a crewed mission to China's Tiangong space station, near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China April 24, 2025. China Daily via REUTERS

Overview

  • The China Manned Space Agency said the three astronauts will land Friday at the Dongfeng site aboard Shenzhou-21.
  • Chen Dong, Wang Jie and Chen Zhongrui have been in orbit since April on a six-month rotation at Tiangong.
  • They were originally set to return on November 5 after the new crew arrived on November 1, but the plan was postponed after Shenzhou-20 was reportedly hit by space debris.
  • Officials reported the crew is in good condition and ground teams have prepared recovery operations at the landing zone.
  • CMSA said Shenzhou-22 will launch at an appropriate time in the future, with no detailed public disclosure about the damage to the affected spacecraft.