China's stranded astronauts 'in good condition' after space debris delays planned return

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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)

FILE - Journalists film Chinese astronauts for the upcoming Shenzhou 20 mission, from left, Wang Jie, captain Chen Dong and Chen Zhongrui wave at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, file) — 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)

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3:33 AM on Tuesday, November 11

The Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — The stranded crew of a Chinese space mission is "in good condition, working and living normally,” China's Manned Space Engineering office said on Tuesday.

The three astronauts on the Shenzhou-20 mission are facing a delayed return to Earth after their scheduled Nov. 5 return was aborted after their spacecraft was believed to have been struck by a small piece of space debris.

The return has been pushed back to an unspecified date, but the mission team is carrying out tests and drills, according to a statement issued by the space agency.

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

The three astronauts — Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie — traveld to the Tiangong space station in April and were finishing their six-month rotation.

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

China has made steady progress with its space program since 2003. It has built its own space station and has a goal of landing a person on the moon by 2030.