Stranded Chinese astronauts ‘in good condition’

China’s Manned Aerospace Engineering office said the crew stranded on the Chinese space mission were “in good condition, working and living normally.”

Three astronauts on the Shenzhou-20 mission face a delayed return to earth after their scheduled return on November 5 was canceled after their spacecraft was believed to have been hit by a small piece of space debris.

The return has been postponed to an indefinite date, but the mission team is conducting tests and exercises, according to a statement released by the space agency.

“The Shenzhou-20 crew is in good condition, working normally and alive,” the statement said.

The three astronauts – Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie – went to the Tiangong space station in April and were about to complete their six-month rotation.

The new Shenzhou-21 mission successfully docked with the space station on November 1, carrying a group of mice for experiments for the first time.

China has made steady progress in its space program since 2003.

It has built its own space station and aims to send a man to the moon by 2030.