China's Shenzhou 21 astronauts are stranded aboard the Tiangong space station, facing an uncertain future.
The three-astronaut crew, part of the Shenzhou 21 mission, arrived at the Tiangong space station on October 31 for a six-month stay. However, their planned return journey is in jeopardy. On November 13, the Shenzhou 21 spacecraft had to carry out a different mission, as the Shenzhou 20 spacecraft, intended to bring them home, was damaged by space debris and deemed unfit for the return trip.
China maintains a Long March 2F rocket and Shenzhou spacecraft in a state of near readiness at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center during crewed missions. In the event of an emergency, this backup can be launched to the station within 8.5 days. For the Shenzhou 21 crew, this countdown has likely already begun, as their lack of a safe ride home qualifies as a contingency.
Chinese space officials have announced that the Shenzhou 22 spacecraft will be launched to Tiangong, presumably without astronauts on board, at an unspecified future date. This move suggests that the nation is prioritizing the safety of its astronauts and is prepared to take risks to ensure their well-being.
The situation for the Shenzhou 21 astronauts is reminiscent of the experience of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who faced a similar predicament during their stay at the International Space Station (ISS) in June 2024. Their Boeing Starliner capsule encountered issues, leading to a decision to return it to Earth uncrewed in September 2024.
Despite the challenges, Wilmore and Williams continued living on the ISS until March, extending their mission from 10 days to nearly nine months. They eventually returned to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, along with fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague and cosmonaut Alexandr Gorbunov.
In contrast, the Shenzhou 21 astronauts are in a more precarious position. The Shenzhou 20 spacecraft, the only crew-capable vehicle docked to Tiangong, has tiny cracks in one of its windows due to the debris strike, making it unfit for their safe return. The China Manned Space Agency has confirmed that the spacecraft will remain in orbit to continue relevant experiments.
Shenzhou 21 is the 10th crewed mission to Tiangong, a three-module station that is approximately 20% the size of the ISS. The mission comprises commander Zhang Lu, who also flew on Shenzhou 15 in 2022, and two spaceflight rookies, Zhang Hongzhang and Wu Fei, with Wu being the youngest member of China's astronaut corps.
