Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Friday after their trip home was delayed more than a week because their original return capsule was damaged, likely by space debris, officials said.

The crew, who had spent six months aboard the Tiangong space station, had been scheduled to return on Nov. 5. But their Shenzhou-20 capsule was found to have tiny cracks in one of its windows, prompting China’s Manned Space Agency to abandon the plan. Instead, they used the newly arrived Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, which had transported their replacements.

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The nine-day delay extended their mission to 204 days — the longest stay by any astronaut at China’s space station. The space agency did not say whether the switch would affect future missions, though it confirmed Shenzhou-22 will be launched.

The return capsule touched down in the Gobi Desert on Friday afternoon, releasing a red-and-white parachute before landing in a cloud of dust. The astronauts were helped out about half an hour later and appeared in stable condition.

Mission commander Chen Dong said their prolonged stay underscored the challenges of space travel. “The path of human space exploration is not smooth,” he said. “But that is why we choose it.”

The crew had continued experiments during their extended mission, along with four mice brought to study how small mammals adapt to weightlessness and confinement.

China’s space program, which has ramped up rapidly in recent years, is a source of national pride. It has already landed a rover on Mars and aims to send astronauts to the moon by 2030.

Source: AP