Horror as 3 astronauts left stranded after return capsule struck | World | News

Three astronauts were stranded in orbit after their return capsule was struck by an object believed to be space debris. Astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie have been at the Tiangong space station, called China’s “Heavenly Palace”, for six months.

The astronauts, who went into space in April, were planned to return to Earth on November 5, but a disaster occurred when their ship crashed into an “unknown” object. Damage to the capsule hull means they are stranded. The China Manned Spaceflight Agency (CMSA) said that astronauts on the Shenzhou-20 mission are currently stuck aboard the Tiangong space station.

The trio conducted experiments and spacewalks while living on the space station operated by the CCP. The China Manned Space Flight Agency (CMSA) believes the crew’s return capsule was hit by a small piece of space debris.

“The Shenzhou-20 manned spacecraft is suspected to have been hit by a small piece of space debris, and impact analysis and risk assessment are ongoing,” the agency said on Wednesday.

Invoking fears about whether they will ever return to Earth, the men must make careful examinations of the capsule before attempting to use it again.

The group of astronauts that would replace them had reached Tiangong before the collision was detected. Both crews are now working together to inspect the spacecraft and assess whether repairs can make it safe for reentry.

CMSA said: “To ensure the safety and health of the astronauts and the success of the mission, it was decided to postpone the Shenzhou-20 return mission, originally scheduled for November 5.”

Chinese science phenom Yu Jun wrote about X: “Shenzhou-22 and Long March 2F (launcher) were already on standby. This is our permanent backup mechanism.”

“They are in ’emergency mission’ mode and are ready to take our astronauts home safely if necessary.”