Three Chinese astronauts are trapped in space after small pieces of space debris are believed to have hit their return capsule, and it is unclear when the crew will return to Earth.
The men are currently stranded inside the Tiangong space station where they have been participating in a six-month mission that included tasks such as science experiments, Fox News reported Thursday.
The outlet continued:
The three-member Shenzhou-20 team had been scheduled to return to Earth on Wednesday, but their mission has been temporarily extended as engineers conduct impact analysis and risk assessments on the damaged spacecraft, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said in a statement.
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The crew’s return capsule is believed to have been hit by tiny fragments of space junk – an increasing hazard in low Earth orbit. CMSA has not specified the extent of the damage or what repairs, if any, will be required. If the spacecraft cannot be repaired, protocol states the Shenzhou-20 crew will use the Shenzhou-21 team’s capsule to return to Earth.
The trio have been living in the space station since April. They were identified as Wang Jie, Chen Zhongrui, and Chen Dong, per Live Science.
According to NASA, space debris is also known as “space junk,” that enters low Earth orbit (LEO).
NASA’s website states:
LEO is an orbital space junk yard. There are millions of pieces of space junk flying in LEO. Most orbital debris comprises human-generated objects, such as pieces of space craft, tiny flecks of paint from a spacecraft, parts of rockets, satellites that are no longer working, or explosions of objects in orbit flying around in space at high speeds.
It also noted that most “space junk” can move at up to 18,000 mph. “Due to the rate of speed and volume of debris in LEO, current and future space-based services, explorations, and operations pose a safety risk to people and property in space and on Earth,” the site explained.
In 2024, a Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon and collected samples, Breitbart News reported, noting that Communist China launched its moon program to compete with the United States, Japan, and India.
More recently, on October 30, the Associated Press (AP) reported, “China said Thursday it’s on track to land astronauts on the moon by 2030 as it introduced the next crew of astronauts who will head to its space station as part of the country’s ambitious plans to be a leader in space exploration.”
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