Three Chinese astronauts whose return to Earth was delayed by space debris hitting their vessel last week have boarded another spacecraft and are expected to land in China on Friday, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said.

The Chinese space agency also revealed details about the debris damage for the first time, saying “tiny cracks” were found in a small window of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft’s return capsule.

“The capsule does not meet the safety requirements for a crewed return, Shenzhou-20 will remain in orbit and conduct relevant experiments,” the agency said in a statement.

The astronauts were due to return to Earth nine days ago after completing a six-month mission on China’s permanently inhabited Tiangong space station, a program known as Shenzhou, or “Divine Vessel,” when the c

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