Debris Damage Halts Shenzhou-20 Return as Crew Remains on Tiangong

Overview

• China’s human spaceflight agency postponed the 5 November landing after technicians found hull damage on the Shenzhou-20 reentry capsule, with no new return date set.
• Officials say a tiny piece of orbital debris likely struck the spacecraft, and an impact and risk assessment is underway to verify the capsule’s safety.
• Astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, aboard since April, are now sharing the station with the newly arrived Shenzhou-21 crew.
• The two teams are inspecting and attempting repairs while continuing research, including planarian regeneration tests and installation of additional debris shielding.
• State media released footage of crews cooking with a new hot‑air oven developed by China’s astronaut training center, as experts highlight some 19,000 tracked debris fragments and vast numbers of smaller, untracked particles in orbit.