Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth after a nine-day delay caused by a cracked window in their Shenzhou-20 return capsule, which was struck by space debris. The crew, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie, completed a six-month mission on the Tiangong Space Station and landed safely in Inner Mongolia aboard the backup Shenzhou-21 craft.
China’s space agency said the Shenzhou-20 capsule “did not meet safety requirements” for a crewed return and will remain in orbit for experiments. The Tiangong station continues operations, with China preparing for a record one-year mission by a future crew member.