A three-man crew stranded at China’s Tiangong space station after their spacecraft was reportedly struck by space debris will return to Earth on Friday, according to state media.
The astronauts had completed their six-month mission and were scheduled to return four days after their replacements arrived on November 1.
However, the plan was halted when their Shenzhou-20 return craft was believed to have been hit by a small fragment of debris, making it unsafe for use.
Authorities said the crew will now return using the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, which carried the new team to the station earlier this month.
The affected astronauts — Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie — have been aboard the orbiting laboratory since April. China’s Manned Space Engineering Office confirmed on Tuesday that they remain in good health and are continuing normal activities despite the delay.
China has steadily expanded its space ambitions since sending its first astronaut into orbit in 2003. It has now built its own permanent space station and aims to land astronauts on the moon before 2030.
The Shenzhou-21 mission also carried mice to Tiangong for scientific research, marking the first time China has included live animals in such experiments.
