Space chaos: China's astronaut return delayed due to space debris!

Space chaos: China's astronaut return delayed due to space debris!

On November 5, 2025, the return of the three-person crew of the “Shenzhou 20” from the Tiangong space station was postponed for safety reasons. The reason for the delay is concerns about possible collisions between the space capsule and space debris. The Chinese Manned Space Administration has currently initiated a risk analysis to ensure the safety of astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, who have now spent around half a year in space carrying out scientific experiments. The return was originally scheduled for today and the crew was scheduled to land in the Gobi Desert. But safety is of course the top priority, as space debris poses a serious threat. According to that Black Forest messengers Objects that are no longer in use, such as satellites and their fragments, are responsible for the scrap that orbits around the earth in near-earth orbits.

The problem of space debris is well known. With over a million pieces of trash larger than a centimeter, the European Space Agency (ESA) estimates that there are more than 36,000 large objects in Earth's orbit, and as many as 130 million smaller pieces could exist. This waste can cause major damage in collisions, which can jeopardize the safety of manned missions. Another example is the Chinese space station Tiangong, which has already been damaged by space debris, as well as the ISS, which recorded minor damage. How Deutschlandfunk reported, there is currently no way to actively remove the scrap, but solutions are being researched.

New mission for Tiangong Station

But while the return of “Shenzhou 20” has to wait, new astronauts are already on the way. Before the current crew returned, three new astronauts were sent to Tiangong Station. The “Shenzhou 21” crew consists of Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang and is now taking over the tasks in the space station. In addition to maintaining the station, your mission also includes scientific experiments and exciting space walks. This mission highlights China's ambitious plans in space, such as Stuttgart News report.

A special innovation is that this mission also includes a civilian, Professor Gui Haichao from the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. China not only wants to catch up with the USA and Russia in space, but also advance science and research in manned space travel. The country is investing billions of dollars to take a leading role in the international space community and even has long-term plans for a manned moon landing by 2030.

However, the challenges remain great. The problem of space debris remains a key issue, especially given the rapid increase in satellites in orbit. There are currently over 13,000 satellites orbiting, including more than 6,300 Starlink satellites from SpaceX, which are already re-entering the Earth and burning up. However, there are no technologies to remove the scrap, and even small pieces pose a danger. The manned space projects are therefore not only a race for progress, but also a race for safety in space.