This is a distressing development in the field of space exploration. Regardless of one’s views on Communist China and its space program, it is concerning to learn that a Chinese space crew is temporarily stranded aboard the Tiangong space station.
According to China’s spaceflight agency, the astronauts—referred to as taikonauts—have found themselves in this precarious situation after space debris struck their return capsule. Fox News reported: “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.”
At this time, the return date has been postponed indefinitely.
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. However, if the spacecraft cannot be repaired, protocol states that the Shenzhou-20 crew will use the Shenzhou-21 team’s capsule to return to Earth.
The Shenzhou program regularly sends crews of three Chinese astronauts to and from the Tiangong space station for six-month missions. During these rotations, they carry out a variety of tasks, ranging from scientific experiments to repairing debris damage.
The current Shenzhou-20 astronauts—mission commander Chen Dong, fighter pilot Chen Zhongrui, and engineer Wang Jie—arrived at Tiangong in April for their six-month rotation. They were nearing the end of their mission when this issue occurred.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/11/lost-orbit-chinese-astronauts-stranded-tiangong-space-station/
