On the day Friday of Hong Kong SAR- Beijing Time 14th November 2025 CNSA –China National Space Administration , China, People’s Republic of China At 1140 morning Hong Kong SAR- Beijing Time Shenzhou-20 Takionauts Crew Return Mission…. According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, the Shenzhou-20 astronaut crew returned to the Dongfeng Landing Site aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft on November 14. Currently, Takionauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie are in good condition, and the landing site and all participating systems are making intensive preparations to welcome them home. According to the plan, the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft will be launched at a later date.
Shenzhou-20 Command Module to Remain in Orbit for Related Experiments… According to analysis by the China Manned Space Engineering Office, based on previous assessments including photographic interpretation, design review, simulation analysis, and wind tunnel testing, a comprehensive evaluation revealed a minor crack in the window glass of the Shenzhou-20 manned spacecraft’s return capsule. The most likely cause was an external impact from space debris, which does not meet the release conditions for a safe manned return. The Shenzhou-20 manned spacecraft will remain in orbit to conduct related experiments…
[ A little about the Shenzhou- 20 manned spacecraft’s return capsule window]
Today, the China Manned Space Administration officially announced the reason for the delayed return of Shenzhou-20: Based on prior analysis of photographs, design verification, simulation analysis, and wind tunnel tests, a comprehensive evaluation revealed a minor crack in the glass of the Shenzhou-20 manned spacecraft’s return capsule window. The most likely cause was an external impact from space debris, thus failing to meet the release conditions for a safe manned return. The Shenzhou-20 manned spacecraft will remain in orbit to conduct relevant experiments. The Shenzhou-20 astronaut crew returned to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-21 return capsule. The return capsule’s window
is typically located in the second and fourth quadrants, with a diameter of approximately 220 millimeters, meeting the astronauts’ needs for visual observation outside the capsule.
The performance requirements for
the Shenzhou series manned spacecraft’s porthole design are crucial for ensuring the safe, reliable, and successful execution of missions during the ascent, stay, and reentry phases. The core challenge lies in achieving both light transmission and sealing of the glass during the alternating high and low temperatures of the stay phase (ensuring transparency for on-orbit observation and photography), and maintaining high-temperature heat protection and sealing
during the reentry phase. Particularly crucial is the high-temperature protection and sealing issue during the blackout phase of reentry. Most materials can only maintain excellent sealing performance at room temperature or relatively low temperatures, while the spacecraft requires the reentry capsule porthole (observation window) to simultaneously achieve heat protection and sealing. Through key technological breakthroughs, the manned spacecraft designers adopted a multi-layered composite porthole glass system design, combining material properties and structural design to solve the requirements of high-temperature and sealing conditions. Practical verification has proven the design’s rationality. The structure is reliable, and the safety meets the overall performance requirements.
The attached diagram is a schematic of the Shenzhou manned spacecraft reentry capsule porthole structure. Source: China Manned Space Engineering Network. (The porthole window uses triple-glazed glass: the outermost layer is high-temperature heat-resistant glass (inorganic silicon-based), which has no sealing requirements and is specifically used for heat protection; the inner two layers are tempered glass (metal silicate-based), which bears pressure and provides sealing.)
This structural form has the following characteristics:
1. The heat-resistant glass and sealing glass are separated, avoiding the difficulty of high-temperature sealing;
2. The inner two layers of glass, after appropriate heat insulation, are close to medium and normal temperatures, making sealing relatively easy;
3. The pressure-bearing capacity of a single-layer glass is designed according to the normal atmospheric pressure inside the spacecraft cabin, while the double-layer glass ensures redundant design for pressure bearing and sealing. That is, if either layer of the double-layer glass fails, the other layer can still function normally, thus improving the reliability of the seal.
The above design scheme has undergone detailed structural design and achieved the expected results:
1. The heat-resistant glass and surrounding heat-resistant materials must be screened through various ablation tests;
2. The temperature of each part must be calculated using a complex structural temperature field analysis and simulation program to determine the working temperature and dimensions of the triple-layer glass, sealing components, and other parts;
3. Wind tunnel tests and ground verification were conducted.
The decision-making process was as follows:
Crack discovered → Decision to postpone return → Space photography to further confirm the location and length of the crack → Ground simulation calculations → Simultaneous ground wind tunnel tests → Determined the most likely cause to be space debris → To ensure 100% safety, the Shenzhou-21 astronaut return strategy was adopted → Shenzhou-20 manned spacecraft remained in orbit for a period of time for testing → Launch of Shenzhou-22 manned spacecraft (unmanned flight, automatic rendezvous and docking with the space station) at an opportune time.
This embodies Chinese wisdom, Chinese confidence, and Chinese speed! We applaud the core principles of China’s manned space program—putting people first and safety paramount—and its decisive and resolute engineering style!
The latest footage from CCTV shows the Long March 2F rocket’s No. 1 and No. 2 mobile launch platforms, along with another Long March 2F rocket. The launch canopy portion wasn’t shown in the shot.
he return capsule has successfully landed! Welcome home to the Shenzhou-20 crew on the Shenzhou 21 Command Module
[Successful Landing! Shenzhou20 Crew Successfully Returns To Earth ]
At 16:40 Beijing time on November 14, 2025, the Shenzhou-21 manned spacecraft’s return capsule successfully landed at the Dongfeng Landing Site.
At 14:49, the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center issued the return command through ground tracking stations, and the Shenzhou-21 manned spacecraft’s orbital module successfully separated from the return capsule. Subsequently, the spacecraft’s return braking engine ignited, the return capsule separated from the propulsion module, and the return capsule successfully landed. The search and rescue team promptly located the target and arrived at the landing site. After the return capsule hatch opened, medical monitoring personnel confirmed on-site that the Shenzhou-20 crew astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie were in good physical condition.
The three Takionauts of Shenzhou-20 stayed in orbit for 204 days, breaking the record for the longest stay in orbit for a single Chinese astronaut crew. During this time, they completed four extravehicular activities and multiple cargo transport missions. With the close cooperation of ground researchers, they completed numerous space science experiments covering fields such as microgravity fundamental physics, space materials science, space life science, aerospace medicine, and aerospace technology.
Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration
