China's Shenzhou-20 astronauts set to return to Earth

China's Shenzhou-20 crew is scheduled to return to Earth on Friday aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced.

The spacecraft will return to the Dongfeng landing site in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The astronauts – Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie – are in good health, and preparations for their touchdown are underway, with the landing zone and all participating systems ready.

The crew's return, originally scheduled for November 5, was postponed due to a suspected impact from tiny space debris on the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft.

The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft will be launched at an appropriate time in the future, according to the CMSA.