In late 2025, China carried out a dramatic emergency rescue for its **Shenzhou‑20** crew after a suspected collision with tiny space debris threatened the safety of their return capsule.
The three astronauts — Commander **Chen Dong**, **Chen Zhongrui**, and **Wang Jie** — had spent over 200 days aboard the **Tiangong** space station, conducting experiments, completing four spacewalks, and reinforcing the station with new debris shielding.
Their scheduled return on November 5 was abruptly cancelled when ground engineers discovered tiny cracks in the viewport window of the **Shenzhou‑20** capsule. Analysts believe the damage was caused by high-speed orbital debris, which, even in millimetre size, can inflict serious harm in space.
China’s space agency immediately activated emergency protocols. Thanks to the redundancy built into the system, the newer **Shenzhou‑21** spacecraft — which had recently docked with Tiangong carrying a fresh crew — was repurposed to bring the Shenzhou‑20 crew home.
On November 13, the Shenzhou‑21 capsule undocked with the outgoing crew aboard. It re-entered the atmosphere and landed safely on November 14 at the **Dongfeng** site in Inner Mongolia. Recovery teams reported that all three astronauts were in good health.
This incident highlights how even a small piece of orbital debris can disrupt human spaceflight and underscores the importance of redundancy and rigorous risk assessment for long-duration missions.
