Jakarta: Three Chinese astronauts have safely returned to Earth following a delay caused by a collision with suspected space debris. The Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, carrying the Shenzhou-20 astronaut team, landed at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia.

According to Anadolu Agency, the spacecraft touched down at approximately 04:40 pm (0840GMT), after undocking from China's Tiangong space station earlier in the day. The return had been postponed by about nine days due to a likely encounter with tiny orbital debris, as announced by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on November 5.

The CMSA reported that the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft was deemed unfit for the astronauts' safe return, prompting the decision to keep it in orbit. The crew, comprising Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie, set a record with their 204-day stay in orbit, marking the longest in-orbit duration for a Chinese astronaut crew.

Mission commander Chen Dong has now accumulated over 400 days in space, becoming the first Chinese astronaut to achieve this milestone. He also maintains the national record for spacewalks, with six extravehicular activities. The astronauts are set to undergo an extended medical procedure for local adaptation after being transported to Beijing. Reports confirm that all members of the crew are in good health.

This mission follows the launch of Shenzhou-21, China's sixth crewed flight mission, which included its youngest-ever astronaut and four mice.