China has postponed a mission to return three astronauts from its space station after a suspected debris strike on the craft, the country’s space authorities said on Wednesday.
The China Manned Space Agency said in a statement that an analysis of the suspected strike and a risk assessment was underway, and that it had decided to delay the return mission for the health and safety of the astronauts.
The mission, known as Shenzhou-20, was launched on April 24 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northern China’s Gobi Desert. It is the 35th flight of the country’s manned space program, according to the government.
The astronauts — the mission commander, Chen Dong, and Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie — had spent six months in orbit at the Tiangong space station. They were expected to return on Thursday to the Dongfeng Landing Site in China’s northern region of Inner Mongolia.
During their time in space, the crew made several spacewalks, handled cargo deliveries and conducted scientific experiments, among other tasks.
They were joined last week at the Tiangong station by a relief crew aboard another spacecraft known as the Shenzhou-21. Both spacecraft are now docked at the station.
Alexandra Stevenson is the Shanghai bureau chief for The Times, reporting on China’s economy and society.
Qasim Nauman is a Times editor in Seoul, covering breaking news from around the world.
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