China's Shenzhou-20 astronauts return to Earth after delay

Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Friday, after a delay caused by their spacecraft being struck by debris in orbit. The Tiangong space station, the crown jewel of China's space programme, is crewed by teams of three astronauts who are exchanged every six months.

The return of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft and crew were planned for November 5, after the Shenzhou-21 mission arrived to relieve them.However, because of a debris strike, their return was delayed. The landing vessel successfully separated from the space station at 11:14 am local time on Friday, state broadcaster CCTV reported.