Stranded Chinese astronauts on way home after window cracks found in Shenzhou-20

Three astronauts on board China’s Tiangong space station – whose launch back to Earth was delayed last week after suspected space debris struck their vessel – are set to make their return on Friday on the new crew’s spacecraft.

The Shenzhou-20 crew are expected to land at the Dongfeng Landing Site in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Friday aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said.

It said all three astronauts – Chen Dong, Wang Jie and Chen Zhongrui – were in good health and preparations were under way at the landing site for their return.

The new astronauts on the Shenzhou-21, who arrived on November 1, were originally set to make their trip back to Earth next year aboard their own spacecraft. The CMSA said a new spacecraft – the Shenzhou-22 – would soon be sent to the Tiangong.

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China launches Shenzhou-21 spacecraft with 4 mice aboard for 6-month experiment

China launches Shenzhou-21 spacecraft with 4 mice aboard for 6-month experiment

The three returning astronauts, who have been in orbit since April, had been scheduled to return aboard their own spacecraft on November 5 after completing a handover to the relief crew, who arrived at the space station days before to begin their six-month mission.