China is preparing to return the crew of the Shenzhou 20 spacecraft to Earth.
The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said that preparations for the return are proceeding as planned and in accordance with the established schedule.
After the damage was identified, emergency protocols were activated, and analyzes and safety checks were carried out on the Shenzhou 20 spacecraft to determine the possibility of its safe return. The statement does not specify when exactly the crew will be returned to Earth.
According to the South China Morning Post, sources at the CMSA said that a new ship could be launched to return the taikonauts.
We are talking about the Shenzhou-22 ship, which was originally prepared to send the next crew to the station. It is already in readiness at the Jiuquan Cosmodrome in northwest China.
The return of the crew was delayed due to damage to the ship
The return to Earth of the three taikonauts was scheduled for November 5, but the mission was postponed due to damage on the Shenzhou-20 ship.
According to preliminary data, the damage was caused by a collision with space debris.
The crew of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft was sent to the station on April 24 and spent more than six months in orbit. On October 31, they carried out a shift change with the team of the new Shenzhou-21 crew, which will continue to work at the orbital station.
Three taikonauts are constantly working at the Tiangong space station, replacing each other every six months.