Chinese astronauts return to Earth after damaged space capsule

Three Chinese astronauts, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie, have safely returned to Earth after a nine-day delay due to cracks in their Shenzhou-20 capsule, likely caused by space debris. They landed in the Gobi Desert using a Shenzhou-21 craft, which had transported a replacement crew to the Tiangong space station. The astronauts remained in good condition throughout their mission, which included studying the effects of weightlessness on mice. China’s space program continues to develop, with plans to land a person on the moon by 2030.

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