The crew of China's Shenzhou-20 mission on Friday shared details of how they calmly and methodically responded to a spacecraft window crack suspected to be caused by space debris, highlighting close coordination between the astronauts in orbit and the teams on the ground.
The trio -- Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie -- met the press in Beijing on Friday afternoon, marking their first public appearance after returning to Earth in November.
Among the topics of greatest concern to reporters was an incident that occurred shortly before the Shenzhou-20 crew was preparing to return, when a crack was discovered on a window of the return capsule, believed to have been caused by a possible impact from space debris.
"We took photographs right away and recorded the situation, and immediately transmitted the data back to the ground. Based on my visual observation, I initially judged that the crack was on the outermost layer of the spacecraft window. The crack had penetrated that outer layer, but it did not affect the safety of our continued stay in orbit. Afterwards, the two crews, six astronauts in total, carefully observed and discussed the condition of the window together, and fully cooperated with the ground teams to carry out rechecks and confirmation," said Shenzhou-20 mission commander Chen Dong.
"When we learned of the situation, we had discussions and reached a common understanding. At the same time, the ground teams communicated with us promptly, and we soon calmed down. This was because we had undergone solid emergency response training on the ground, and we had been mentally and psychologically prepared," said Chen Zhongrui, a former air force pilot who made his first spaceflight during the mission.
"At the moment we discovered the potential danger, I felt nervous for a short while, but quickly got my mind right. I immediately followed our assigned roles and started to recheck the window's condition and inspect the safety of the cabin. The six of us worked in coordination and successfully completed the transfer tasks. I was deeply impressed, becoming fully aware of the powerful strength of teamwork. I therefore feel a deeper reverence and love for this profession," said Wang Jie, who also made his debut spaceflight.
Following their extended stay in space as a result of the debris incident, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent a total of 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest duration by a single group of Chinese astronauts.
Shenzhou-20 astronauts recount calm response to spacecraft window crack
China's securities regulator has pledged to prioritize market stability and resolutely prevent sharp fluctuations as a core objective for 2026, aiming to consolidate sound development of the capital market.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) made the commitment at its annual work conference on Thursday, where the regulator reviewed the past year's performance and outlined key tasks for 2026.
In 2025, listed companies distributed a combined total of 2.68 trillion yuan (about 380 billion U.S. dollars) in cash dividends and share buybacks throughout the year, further consolidating the momentum for high-quality development.
Initial public offerings (IPOs) and follow-on offerings reached a combined 1.26 trillion yuan, while the exchange bond market issued various bonds totaling 16.3 trillion yuan.
Eighteen futures and options products were smoothly listed, demonstrating the robust functioning of the multi-tiered capital market.
The meeting emphasized that while the capital market currently shows stable and sound performance, it still faces complex and severe challenges posed by intertwined domestic and external risks as well as the overlapping of persisting and emerging issues.
Efforts will be made to effectively enhance the intrinsic stability of the market, the CSRC said, adding that it will rigorously investigate and punish excessive speculation, market manipulation, and other illegal activities to prevent sharp market fluctuations.
It will work to foster a market ecosystem where "long-term capital engages in long-term investment," the regulator said, pledging efforts to broaden the channels for medium and long-term capital inflows, introduce various products and risk management tools suited to long-term investment, and actively guide long-term, rational and value-based investment.
It also vowed to enhance the inclusiveness and adaptability of the multi-tiered equity market, crack down on illegal activities such as financial fraud, price manipulation and insider trading, and enhance corporate governance among listed firms.
The CSRC will advance the two-way opening up of the capital market in 2026.
Efforts will be made to expedite the implementation of the optimized Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor scheme, expand the scope of futures products accessible to foreign investors, and enhance the facilitation of cross-border investment and financing, the regulator said.
China's securities regulator stresses market stability in 2026 work plan
China's securities regulator stresses market stability in 2026 work plan
