Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China space stories of the year. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. Stranded Chinese astronauts return home from space station mission
Three astronauts whose return to Earth from China’s Tiangong space station was delayed after a suspected debris strike touched down on November 14 at the Dongfeng landing site in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.
2. China’s Shenzhou 20 debris crisis: a catalyst for space war – or peace?
A tiny piece of debris triggered the most serious mishap at China’s Tiangong space station since it became operational three years ago.
3. China’s Mars mission leaves US for space dust with Nasa at least 4 years behind
China’s lead in the race to bring rocks back from Mars has grown by a big margin, as Nasa’s updated timeline for the return of samples collected by its Perseverance rover puts it at least four years behind.