Beijing (TDI): Three Chinese astronauts safely returned to Earth on Wednesday after completing a six-month mission aboard the Tiangong space station, as China continues its push toward becoming a leading space power.
Cai Xuzhe, Wang Haoze and Song Lingdong of the Shenzhou-19 crew arrived at the Dongfeng landing site in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Their landing, initially scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed by a day because of adverse weather conditions.
A video showed the return capsule descending under a red-and-white striped parachute before landing in the Gobi Desert, creating a cloud of dust as recovery teams rushed in.
They started their mission in October 2024 and spent 180 days aboard Tiangong, the independently built orbital space station of China.
Read More: Pakistan Seeks to Boost Space Ties with China
During their stay in orbit, the astronauts conducted multiple scientific experiments, performed technical maintenance, and made a new national record for the longest spacewalk by Chinese astronauts.
Their return marks the successful completion of the Shenzhou-19 mission and comes shortly after the launch of the Shenzhou-20 crew last Thursday.
The new team, comprising Commander Chen Dong, Wang Jie and Chen Zhongrui started their mission from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre to spend 6 months in the station.
Read More: China Launches Shenzhou-19 Spaceflight Mission
Cai, 48, Shenzhou-14 mission’s veteran, headed the crew. Song, 34, and Wang, 35, both served as air force pilots in the past. Wang was China’s only active woman spaceflight engineer at the time of launch.
The mission underlines the continued expansion of Beijing’s ambitious space program, which has received billions in government investment.
China have plans to send astronauts to the Moon by 2030 and is preparing for a long-term stay on the lunar surface.
