China's National Space Administration said that three Chinese astronauts were forced to extend their stay at the space station for 6 months due to concerns that the returning spacecraft had collided with space debris.
Three Chinese astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie are expected to return to Earth on November 5. The group has even handed over the mission at the Chinese space station to a new crew.
However, the return journey of these three astronauts to Earth has been delayed due to suspicions of a collision with the Than Chau 20 spacecraft.
China's National Space Administration said on November 5 that an impact analysis and risk assessment are underway, but did not provide details about the damage or the time to inspect the spacecraft.
According to the Chinese space agency, the delay of the return trip to Earth is to ensure the safety and health of the astronauts.
There is currently no specific date for the three Chinese astronauts to return to Earth. Three Chinese astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie have been on the Tiansung cosmodromat station since April.
The announcement came just days after China celebrated the successful launch of the Chinese Ship Than Chau 21. This new model spacecraft successfully took the next group of astronauts to the Thien Cung space station.
Among the astronauts of the Than Chau 21 crew to the space station this time is Fei Wu, 32, the youngest Chinese pilot to ever fly into space.
