Chinese astronauts return to Earth after six-month mission
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(From left) Astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Chen Dong and Liu Yang at a see-off ceremony before the launch of the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft on June 5.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BEIJING - Three Chinese astronauts landed back on Earth on Sunday on board the re-entry capsule of the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft, state broadcaster CCTV reported, bringing to an end a six-month mission on China’s space station.
The three astronauts – commander Chen Dong and teammates Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe – who had been overseeing the final, pivotal period of construction at the space station, which was completed in November, said they were feeling well after landing, in an audio aired on CCTV.
The capsule landed at the Dongfeng site in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous region at 8.09pm local time, with staff from the space agency declaring the entire mission, which began on June 5, a “complete success”, CCTV reported.
Staff at the landing site carried out the exhausted-looking crew members one by one and by 9pm, all three had safely exited the capsule, it reported.
A new crew of three Chinese astronauts arrived at the space station aboard the Shenzhou-15
The space station represents a significant milestone in China’s three-decade-long manned space programme,
Construction of the station began in April 2021 with the launch of the first and largest of its three modules, Tianhe, being the living quarters of visiting astronauts.
REUTERS
