Astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie meet the press before embarking on their Shenzhou-20 spaceflight mission, at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu province, China, on April 23, 2025. China Daily/Reuters Hong Kong —

Three Chinese astronauts have been forced to extend their six-month stay in space over concerns their return ship may have been hit by debris, China’s space agency said.

Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie were due to return to Earth on Wednesday –– they had even handed over the keys to the Chinese space station to a new crew –– but their journey home was postponed due to a suspected impact on their Shenzhou-20 spaceship, China’s National Space Administration said Wednesday.

“The impact analysis and risk assessment are under way,” the space agency

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