Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Friday from the Chinese space station "Tiangong" ("Heavenly Palace"), the China National Space Administration (CNSA) reported. Their return was previously delayed due to a potential collision with space debris, LETA reported citing AP.
The capsule with three astronauts landed in Inner Mongolia, China.
Chen Dong, Chen Zhongzhui, and Wang Zhe were supposed to return to Earth on November 5 — four days after the arrival of a new team of astronauts aboard the "Shenzhou-21" spacecraft.
However, the return was delayed by more than a week after small cracks were found in the porthole of the returning capsule of the "Shenzhou-20" spacecraft, presumably caused by a strike from space debris.
Now the astronauts have returned to Earth aboard the "Shenzhou-21," while the "Shenzhou-20" will remain in orbit. It is still unknown whether the replacement of the spacecraft will affect future missions.
Crew changes on the "Tiangong" space station occur every six months, and each crew consists of three members.
China began sending people into space in 2003. The "Tiangong" station has become the culmination of these efforts and a source of pride for Beijing — it is the second inhabited space station in the world after the International Space Station (ISS), which is operated by NASA. Meanwhile, China is barred from accessing the ISS.
China's goal is to send a crewed mission to the Moon by the end of this decade, and eventually build a base there.
