The crew of the Chinese Shenzhou-20 expedition successfully returned to Earth using the spacecraft for the next mission, Shenzhou-21. This means that the taikonauts remaining on board the Tiangong station are temporarily unable to leave it.
Shenzhou-20 was launched on April 24, 2025. The spacecraft delivered three taikonauts to the Tiangong space station. Their orbital mission lasted six months, during which they performed four spacewalks and conducted a series of research and experiments.
After the arrival of the Shenzhou-21 replacement expedition, the Shenzhou-20 crew began preparing to return to Earth. The return was scheduled for November 5. However, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) postponed it. The reason was a crack in the window of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, which was most likely caused by a small piece of space debris.
After analyzing photographs, checking the design, and conducting wind tunnel tests, Chinese experts concluded that the spacecraft no longer met the requirements for a safe return of the crew. Since the Tiangong station is not designed for six people to stay on board permanently, it was decided to return the Shenzhou-20 crew on the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft.
On November 14, the Shenzhou-21 return capsule made a successful landing in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This means that the three taikonauts remaining on board Tiangong are temporarily unable to leave the station in the event of an emergency. According to a statement by the CMSA, they will return to Earth on the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft. The exact launch date has not been announced.
As for the damaged Shenzhou-20, it will remain part of Tiangong for the time being and will be used as an experimental platform. Most likely, an attempt will be made in the future to land the spacecraft in autonomous mode to check how serious the damage was and whether it posed a threat to the crew.
