Photo: Screenshot from CCTV News

The Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship capsule successfully undocked from the space station combination at 11:14 am Beijing time, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) said on Friday. 

Subsequently, three taikonauts of the Shenzhou-20 crew, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, are set to embark on their return journey.

In the preliminary phase, based on imaging analysis, design review, simulation analysis, and wind tunnel tests, a comprehensive assessment has identified microcracks in the porthole glass of the Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship's return capsule, the CMSEO said.

This is most likely caused by the external impact of space debris, rendering the Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship non-compliant with the release criteria for manned safe return, the CMSEO added.

The Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship will remain in orbit to continue conducting relevant experiments, according to the CMSEO.

The return of China's Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship, originally scheduled for November 5, was postponed due to a suspected impact from tiny space debris, the Xinhua News Agency reported.



Global Times