China's stranded astronauts 'in good condition' after space debris delays planned return
BEIJING (AP) — The stranded crew of a Chinese space mission is "in good condition, working and living normally,” China's Manned Space Engineering office said on Tuesday.
The three astronauts on the Shenzhou-20 mission are facing a delayed return to Earth after their scheduled Nov. 5 return was aborted after their spacecraft was believed to have been struck by a small piece of space debris.
The return has been pushed back to an unspecified date, but the mission team is carrying out tests and drills, according to a statement issued by the space agency.
“The Shenzhou-20 crew is in good condition, working and living normally,” the statement said.
The three astronauts — Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie — traveld to the Tiangong space station in April and were finishing their six-month rotation.
The replacement Shenzhou-21 mission successfully docked with the space station on Nov. 1, carrying for the first time a group of mice for experiments.
China has made steady progress with its space program since 2003. It has built its own space station and has a goal of landing a person on the moon by 2030.
