Preparations underway to receive mission crew after space debris delays return

Preparation work for the return of the Shenzhou XX mission crew, whose scheduled home-bound flight was postponed due to space debris, has been proceeding in an orderly manner, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

The agency said in a statement on Tuesday that after the decision to re-arrange their return was made, mission planners and engineers promptly began to follow emergency response plans and measures based on the principle of "putting astronauts' safety first".

They have conducted comprehensive simulation analysis, tests, and safety assessments about the Shenzhou XX spaceship, while formulating detailed steps for the crew's return, it said.

All systems involved in this work have been carrying out various tests to make sure that their hardware is in good condition and to eliminate any potential risks.

Meanwhile, the Dongfeng Landing Site's personnel have been performing intensive drills to prepare for the crew's return, the statement noted.

"At present, the Tiangong space station is in good condition and is capable of holding two mission crews. The Shenzhou XX astronauts live and work normally aboard the station and continue to work with the Shenzhou XXI crew to make scientific tasks," it said.

The Shenzhou XX team — mission commander Senior Colonel Chen Dong and crew members Colonel Chen Zhongrui and Colonel Wang Jie — was originally scheduled to fly back with their spacecraft on Nov 5 after staying six months on board the Tiangong space station.

They represent China's 15th manned spaceflight and comprise the ninth group of residents aboard the Tiangong, which is currently the only operational space station independently run by a single nation.

However, their return trip had to be delayed after the Shenzhou XX spaceship was found to have been hit by space debris.

Such debris includes everything from spent rocket stages and old satellites to fragments from disintegration, erosion, and collisions, and even paint flecks. Some pieces of debris may collide with operational spacecraft or cause hazards to manned spaceflights.