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China has postponed the return of the Shenzhou-20 space mission following a suspected impact by small space debris, the China Manned Space Agency said on Wednesday. The agency said it was carrying out an impact analysis and risk assessment. “To ensure the safety and health of the astronauts and the success of the mission, it has been decided that the Shenzhou-20 return mission, originally scheduled for November 5, will be postponed,” it said in an announcement. The incident has occurred days after the three astronauts were joined on board the Tiangong space station by their relief crew, with a handover ceremony transferring the keys to the facility taking place on Tuesday. There are currently two spacecraft docked at the station, with the Shenzhou-20 return vehicle believed to be affected by the space debris. Wang Jie, Chen Dong and Chen Zhongrui, the Shenzhen-20 trio, have been in orbit since April and were scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia in northern China on Wednesday. The landing site has been the scene of multiple rounds of drills preparing for their arrival, according to Xinhua. These have included systems tests for air search and rescue, ground response, communication support and medical monitoring and aid. According to the Chinese space authorities, there is an emergency rescue system designed to support visiting spacecraft at the space station. Under the emergency protocol, a backup spacecraft would remain on standby for rapid deployment if necessary, from the moment a craft is launched until it returns to Earth. More to follow …
