Photo: STR / AFP / Getty Images
Three Chinese astronauts returned safely from their nation's space station on Friday (November 14) after a delay of more than a week due to damage to their original return capsule. The damage was likely caused by space debris, according to China's Manned Space Agency. The astronauts, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie, had been on a six-month mission and were initially scheduled to return on November 5.
The team left their Shenzhou-20 spacecraft in orbit and used the newly arrived Shenzhou-21 to return to Earth. This spacecraft had previously transported a replacement crew to the Tiangong space station. It remains unclear if this change in spacecraft will affect the timing of future missions. The space agency announced that Shenzhou-22 will be launched, but did not provide a specific date.
The astronauts landed in the Gobi Desert in northern China, deploying a red-and-white-striped parachute before touching down. The impact created a large cloud of dust in the barren landscape. Despite the delay, the astronauts conducted experiments with the new crew and were reported to be in good condition.
China's space program has made significant strides since 2003, including the construction of the Tiangong space station and exploration of Mars with a robotic rover. The program aims to land a person on the moon by 2030. The Tiangong, meaning "Heavenly Palace," is smaller than the International Space Station and was built after China was excluded from the ISS due to U.S. national security concerns.
The latest mission also included a study on four mice to understand the effects of weightlessness and confinement, which will aid in mastering technologies for breeding and monitoring small mammals in space.