Space Junk Crisis: Chinese Astronauts' Safe Return Hit by Debris

Space debris hit the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, delaying the return of three Chinese astronauts who were finally able to switch to the Shenzhou-21 for their journey back to Earth. The China Manned Space Agency noted "tiny cracks" in the window of the initial vessel, marking the first time details of the damage have been publicly disclosed.

The affected Chinese astronauts were initially set to return after six months on the Tiangong space station. However, their planned landing has been rescheduled to occur Friday at Dongfeng, Inner Mongolia, following the debris crisis. The program now faces the challenge of ensuring safe return routes for crews amid rising hazards from space junk.

Experts like Igor Marinin highlight the growing space debris risk as more objects clutter Earth's orbit from s