Chinese astronauts stranded in space: Collision with space debris feared

Beijing. China has postponed the return of three astronauts from its Tiangong space station to Earth, originally scheduled for Wednesday. The reason given by the China Space Administration in Beijing is the suspected collision of the capsule with space debris.

The analysis and risk assessment are currently underway, it was stated. The mission will be postponed until further notice to ensure the safety of the astronauts.

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Space debris has long been a problem in space. This refers to all unused objects, such as satellites or fragments thereof, that have resulted from collisions or explosions. They can be tiny or several meters in size.

Space debris orbits the Earth, including in low Earth orbits. The European Space Agency (ESA) estimates that more than one million pieces of debris larger than one centimeter are currently hurtling around the planet.

The crew of the Shenzhou 20 spacecraft was originally scheduled to land back in the Gobi Desert in northwestern China on Wednesday. Astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie had spent about six months in space, conducting scientific experiments and improving the space station's protection against space debris, among other tasks.

Previously, China had sent three new astronauts into space, with whom the handover of the space station took place in recent days. The new "Shenzhou 21" crew will also maintain the space station, conduct scientific experiments, and perform spacewalks.

The astronauts are Zhang Lu, who flew in space two years ago aboard the Shenzhou 15 spacecraft, and space debutants Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang. The mission is part of China's long-term space plans, which also include a manned lunar landing by 2030.

Just recently, another case caused an international stir: The return of the Boeing Starliner crew from the International Space Station (ISS) was repeatedly postponed due to technical problems. The test mission, originally scheduled for only about ten days, ultimately lasted more than nine months.

The fate of the two astronauts stranded in space was followed worldwide – also because it remained unclear for a long time when the spacecraft could safely return to Earth.

RND/dpa/pf