Crack in the spaceship window: the Shenzhou‑20 crew described a rescue evacuation from orbit

November 2025: Unexpected Descent of “Shenzhou‑20”

In November 2025, three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth, but not on their own spacecraft – they used “Shenzhou‑21.” The reason for such an urgent replacement was that the “Shenzhou‑20” capsule had been damaged by space debris. A descent in that condition was deemed dangerous, so the ship was first launched without crew. After a successful landing it became usable again.

Emergency Rescue Plan

In case of an unforeseen situation a backup spacecraft is always prepared. Launching such a mission can occur no later than two weeks after the problem is detected. Until November 2025, similar operations had not been conducted, but this case became the first real test of the entire chain of responsible actions for crew rescue.

Inspection and Damage Assessment

Before descent, the “Shenzhou‑20” team performed an internal inspection of the capsule. Mission commander Chen Dong noticed a triangular structure on the viewport, which turned out to be a network of shallow cracks – signs of impact by space debris. The outermost glass layer was damaged. Using a mobile microscope, the commander examined the cracks: they varied in length, some were through‑holes.

Ground specialists analyzed the data and recreated the damage on a model. Although the risk of complete destruction of the viewport during descent was not absolute, crew safety deemed it unacceptable. Therefore the decision was made to use “Shenzhou‑21” for return.

Path to Earth and Subsequent Operations

* 14 November 2025 – The crew returned to Earth in “Shenzhou‑21”.

* 25 November 2025 – A reserve ship, “Shenzhou‑22,” was sent to the station for a new shift.

* 20 January 2026 – The “Shenzhou‑20” capsule descended to Earth under harsh winter conditions: a gust of wind, the parachute failed to deploy automatically, so it had to be removed manually. And despite all difficulties, the viewport remained intact.

Before landing the capsule was further reinforced from inside to reduce the risk of glass failure due to air pressure.

Crew Psychology

Astronauts stated that at the moment they discovered the damage they were not anxious. They trusted the ground team and believed everything would be done for their safe return.

Context of Global Rescue Operations

In the same January days NASA conducted its first medical evacuation from a space station. The agency reacted quickly, unlike previous leadership, which forced the Boeing Starliner crew to remain aboard for more than nine months instead of the planned eight days – but that is another story.