(MENAFN- Live Mint) Three Chinese astronauts, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, have been forced to extend their six-month stay in space amid concerns that their return ship may have been hit by debris, China's space agency said on Wednesday, according to reports.

A video of the taikonauts – Chinese astronauts – by state broadcaster CCTV+ shows the astronauts grilling meat in space. The clip has stunned the internet with netizens posting hilarious responses.

“This takes Air-frying food to another level,” one X user hilariously commented on X.

Among the three astronauts, Wu Fei, aged 32, is China's youngest astronaut to have ever made it to space, according to CNN, citing local media reports.

Why are the astronauts stranded?

Astronauts Dong, Zhongrui, and Jie were scheduled to end their six-month mission and return on Wednesday, 5 November.

They had already handed over control of the Chinese space station to a new crew when their homecoming was abruptly postponed due to a suspected impact on their Shenzhou-20 spaceship, China's National Space Administration said Wednesday.

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“The impact analysis and risk assessment are underway,” the space agency said, without specifying details of any damage or how long it might take to check the ship.

China's space agency stated that the postponement was made to ensure the astronauts' safety and health.

When would the astronauts return?

To date, no new date of return has been announced for the three astronauts who blasted off from China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in April 2025.

The delay in the astronauts' return comes days after China celebrated the successful launch of Shenzhou-21.

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The newer model spacecraft successfully ferried the next batch of astronauts to China's space station Tiangong – or“Heavenly Palace” in Chinese.

Last year, technical issues affecting a Boeing Starliner spacecraft forced two NASA astronauts – including Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore – to extend their stay in space for nine months.

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