PRES. TRUMP AWARDED INAUGURAL FIFA PEACE PRIZE AT WORLD CUP DRAW IN WASHINGTON . (PHOTOS).
The return of three Chinese astronauts has been delayed after suspected space debris damaged their return vehicle.
China’s Manned Spaceflight Agency announced Wednesday that Shenzhou 20 Commander Chen Dong and astronauts Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie will stay aboard the Tiangong space station longer than planned. “To ensure the health and safety of the astronauts and the successful completion of the mission, the originally scheduled return of Shenzhou-20 on Nov. 5 has been postponed,” the agency said.
The trio launched in April from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert for a six-month rotation on Tiangong, reaching the station after a six-hour journey. China aims to land a person on the moon by 2030 and has carried out around 37 space missions, six of them crewed.
Shenzhou 21, launched at the end of last month, is currently on a six-month research visit to Tiangong. Officials said astronauts from both missions will remain on the station while Shenzhou 20’s spacecraft undergoes an analysis of the suspected debris impact.
Comments
Post a Comment