Following a delay due to concerns about space debris, China appears to be gearing up for the reentry and landing of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft. A temporary airspace restriction has been issued, raising speculation about the mission's return. According to a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) published by the Hohhot Flight Information Region under the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the airspace over Inner Mongolia will be restricted from 3:20 to 3:50 a.m. Eastern (0820-0850 UTC, or 4:20-4:50 p.m. Beijing time) Nov. 14.
This airspace closure coincides with the area of the Dongfeng landing site, situated roughly 60 to 90 kilometers east-southeast of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia. This site has been the primary landing location for all Shenzhou crewed spacecraft since 2021.
While the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) has not officially announced the precise timing or method of the Shenzhou-20 crew's return, the 30-minute window suggested by the NOTAM indicates a potential landing on Friday. CMSEO previously announced the postponement of the return on Nov. 5, citing a suspected impact from a small piece of space debris. "The Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft was suspected of being struck by a small piece of space debris, and impact analysis and risk assessment are underway," the agency stated.
An update on Nov. 11 revealed that mission teams had initiated contingency procedures, including simulations, system testing, and safety evaluations. Recovery teams at the Dongfeng landing site were also conducting integrated rehearsals. However, the update did not confirm an imminent return or outline specific contingency plans.
The NOTAM itself does not definitively confirm the Shenzhou-20 return. It is also uncertain whether the current crew, consisting of commander Chen Dong and crewmates Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, will be aboard the spacecraft. Another possibility, albeit seemingly less likely, would involve the crew returning via the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft. This would necessitate preparing the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft and its Long March 2F rocket to act as a "lifeboat" for the Shenzhou-21 crew at the Tiangong space station.
The Shenzhou-20 crew has been stationed aboard the Tiangong space station since April 24, having transferred control to the arriving Shenzhou-21 crew on Nov. 4. Their time in orbit has exceeded 200 days, marking the longest stay for any Chinese crew. Chen Dong is a veteran, commanding his second mission to Tiangong after the 2022 Shenzhou-14 mission. Chen Zhongrui is a former air force pilot, and Wang Jie is an engineer with CASC. This mission marks their first spaceflight, following their selection in China’s third batch of astronauts in 2020.
The extended duration of the Shenzhou-20 mission may place increased demands on the Tiangong space station's resources, including water, oxygen, and food. However, the station's closed-loop systems for recycling water and oxygen should mitigate these concerns. The arrival of the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft in mid-July also ensured that the station remains well-supplied. CMSEO emphasizes its commitment to safety, stating that preparations are proceeding "in an orderly manner." China has conducted 16 crewed missions to low Earth orbit since 2003, and the Shenzhou-20 mission is the first to experience a significant return delay. With ambitions to send astronauts to the moon by 2030, China continues to advance its human spaceflight program.