The world of space exploration was rocked this week after it was revealed that a trio of Chinese astronauts are now "stranded" in space after an unidentified object struck their return capsule.

According to the Daily Mail, the three astronauts, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie, are currently stuck in orbit after the object stopped their return to Earth.

The three space explorers had been stationed on Tiangong station since April -- essentially six months -- and were presumably excited to return home, only to have a nightmare scenario unfold on the way back to Earth.

They were stationed there as a part of China's Shenzhou 20 mission, which included living in zero gravity, space walks, and a number of scientific experiments.

What's going on?

Extended details of what went wrong are not yet available, but according to reports, before the aforementioned crew handed off the station to the incoming crew, the collision took place.

3 Chinese astronauts stranded in space station after debris strikes return capsule https://t.co/Z246fzZTKH pic.twitter.com/CS1anBno7D

— New York Post (@nypost) November 6, 2025

The Daily Mail noted:

It left a noticeable mark on the space vehicle's hull, leading the team to fear their craft may have also sustained internal damage that could endanger their flight home.

Their replacements had already arrived at the space lab after taking off in their own rocket on October 31.

Given the suspected serious damage to the craft, the crew will presumably be combing through every nook and cranny to determine what's damaged and how to repair it before attempting to return home.

The incident marks the second time this year that astronauts have been stranded in space, following an earlier incident in which two astronauts, NASA's Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, were stuck on the International Space Station (ISS).

While they're not 100% sure what struck the return capsule, Chinese officials said that the most likely suspect is "space debris."

Social media reacts

Users across social media weighed in on the situation, with some wondering if Elon Musk would be able to rescue them like he did the American astronauts.

"Would be just Awesome if @SpaceX and Elon Musk would rescue them too!!" one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "Will Elon pick up the phone? You know it’s gonna happen."

Only time will tell if they're able to figure out the problem and make it home on their own or if they'll need assistance from the private sector.