• Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, which was launched last month carrying 3 new astronauts, brought home crew from previous mission

ISTANBUL

Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Friday around nine days behind schedule after their spacecraft was hit by suspected space debris.

The Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, carrying the Shenzhou-20 astronaut team, touched down at around 04:40 pm (0840GMT) at the Dongfeng landing site in northern China’s Inner Mongolia region.

It undocked from China’s Tiangong space station at around 11:14 am (0314GMT).

On Nov. 5, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced that the crew’s journey home had been delayed following a likely impact from tiny orbital debris.

The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft "does not meet the requirements for the astronauts' safe return” and would instead remain in orbit, the agency said.

It added the Shenzhou-20 crew, including Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, spent 204 days in orbit -- a new record for the longest in-orbit stay among Chinese astronaut crews, according to state-run Xinhua News.

Mission commander Chen has now logged more than 400 days in space – the first Chinese astronaut to reach that milestone – and holds the national record for spacewalks, with six extravehicular activities.

The crew will undergo an extended medical procedure for local adaption soon after they were transported out of the space capsule to capital Beijing. "The astronauts are all in good health."

China last month launched the Shenzhou-21, its sixth crewed flight mission, with three astronauts, locally known as taikonauts, including its youngest-ever astronaut, plus four mice.