# Three Chinese astronauts stranded on Tiangong space station **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 6, 2025, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632 "2025-11-06T16:28:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/1 "2025-11-06T16:28:08Z")
Due to an impact of space debris on their Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, three Chinese astronauts have been stranded on the Tiangong space station indefinitely, instead of going home Wednesday. The Shenzhou-21 crew had already arrived at base to relieve them. > **[Return of Chinese astronauts delayed after spacecraft struck by debris](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/05/chinese-astronauts-delayed-spacecraft-struck-by-debris-tiangong-space-station-shenzhou-20)** > > The three astronauts from the Shenzhou-20 mission flew to the Tiangong space station in April, and were expected to return on Wednesday And we can’t even help them ourselves, because of a US law forbidding NASA from cooperating with Chinese astronauts. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/2 "2025-11-06T16:39:11Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > And we can’t even help them ourselves, because of a US law forbidding NASA from cooperating with Chinese astronauts. I never knew about the: > **[Wolf Amendment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_Amendment)** > > The Wolf Amendment is a law passed by the United States Congress in 2011, named after then–United States Representative Frank Wolf, that prohibits the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from using government funds to engage in direct, bilateral cooperation with the Chinese government and China-affiliated organizations from its activities without explicit authorization from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Congress. It has been inserte In May 1999,... Do we have the ability to help, because clearly an exception is allowed. [We stranded our own astronauts for a very long time recently thanks to Boeing](https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/nasa-astronauts-boeing-spaceship-stuck-space-station-longer-rcna184604), so I’m not sure we could do much. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/3 "2025-11-06T16:42:18Z")
Technically, they are taikonauts. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/4 "2025-11-06T16:42:56Z")
I wonder, the law aside, do Chinese/Russian manned spacecraft have compatible seals and ports (whatever one calls it) to let an American spacecraft link up with them for assistance? ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/5 "2025-11-06T16:53:58Z")
I believe Shenzhou spacecraft are equipped with docking system compatible with the International Docking System Standard (IDSS) so, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/6 "2025-11-06T17:04:43Z")
If they’re not equipped with IDSS compatible docking gear, it’s a colossally stupid move on the Chinese part. I would imagine that if those guys were going to die, and the option was to get the FBI and Congress to allow it, it might happen. Beyond that, is there any reason that SpaceX couldn’t launch a Crew Dragon capsule to go retrieve them? They’re not NASA, and presumably not constrained by the Wolf Amendment. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/7 "2025-11-06T18:21:32Z")
There’s a note at the end of this article about a backup launch vehicle. The Chinese will apparently be able to handle this themselves. > **[Space junk may have struck a Chinese crew ship in low-Earth orbit](https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/11/landing-postponed-for-chinese-astronauts-after-suspected-space-debris-strike/)** > > The three-man crew was supposed to return to Earth on Wednesday to wrap up six months in space. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/8 "2025-11-06T18:25:14Z")
Hopefully all will be resolved positively. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/9 "2025-11-06T22:52:53Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > There’s a note at the end of this article about a backup launch vehicle The Guardian article also says: “Shenzhou-22 and the Long March 2F (launcher) were already on standby. This is our rolling backup mechanism. They are in ‘emergency duty’ mode and ready to bring our astronauts home safely if needed,” Yu told his more than five million followers on Weibo. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/10 "2025-11-07T18:15:34Z")
I assume they have emergency food and water available for a good period of time - regarding the possibility that their descent could be delayed. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2025, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/11 "2025-11-08T02:39:58Z")
If they do it like the ISS does (and I don’t see why they wouldn’t), food and other essential supplies are sent up on a cheaper rocket that doesn’t need as stringent requirements for safety or reliability. If your supply rocket blows up, you just send another one, and even if it blows up 10% of the time, that’s just an 11% increase in the cost of keeping the station supplied. But even China probably doesn’t accept putting humans on a rocket with a 10% failure rate. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2025, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/12 "2025-11-08T03:08:41Z")
> [@Mark\_Finn](#): > > I assume they have emergency food and water available for a good period of time - regarding the possibility that their descent could be delayed. My understanding is the key factor is how many potatoes they can grow. Of course, my understanding of this issue is based on watching _The Martian_ three times. ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2025, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/13 "2025-11-08T11:21:43Z")
The Chinese helped NASA in that film too, so does this rule only work one way? Or did a movie lie to me? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/14 "2025-11-15T23:35:48Z")
I’m assuming the Chinese space station operates the same as the ISS and recycles water indefinitely with a toilet system that reconverts liquid waste to sterile potable water. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2025, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/15 "2025-11-16T00:21:49Z")
Probably, but I’m sure it’s not perfectly efficient, so they still need to replenish water supplies every so often. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2025, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/16 "2025-11-16T02:41:27Z")
Sheesh, I hope the TP holds out. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2025, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/17 "2025-11-16T03:01:16Z")
They’re back on Earth now. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2025, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-chinese-astronauts-stranded-on-tiangong-space-station/1024632/18 "2025-11-16T07:27:16Z")
The three who were there originally, who were the subject of the “stranded” coverage, are now home, but the three who replaced them currently have no obvious way of returning to the surface in the event of an emergency. > **[Three astronauts are stuck on China’s space station without a safe ride home](https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/11/three-astronauts-are-stuck-on-chinas-space-station-without-a-safe-ride-home/)** > > “This does not meet the release conditions for a safe manned return.”… The simplified TLDR version: The station has two docking points. Each crew comes up and docks its ship. That ship sits there unused until the next crew rotates in. When the new crew arrives, the old crew takes its original ship home, and the new ship then sits and waits for the next rotation. That ship serves as the “lifeboat” in case the crew needs to leave early. Crew 20’s ship was damaged and could not be safely used to return when Crew 21 arrived. Instead, Crew 20 went home on Crew 21’s ship. Crew 21 is now on the station with the unusable Crew 20 ship. It’s arguable the degree to which this new crew can be described as “stranded,” considering they’re scheduled to be on the station for a while and there’s time to figure things out, but it’s a messy, unpleasant situation for sure.