Stranded Chinese astronauts return home from space station mission
Astronauts return from Tiangong space station aboard new crew’s spacecraft after suspected debris strikes vessel and delays launch
Three astronauts whose return to Earth from China’s Tiangong space station was delayed last week after a suspected debris strike touched down on Friday at the Dongfeng landing site in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.
The Shenzhou-20 crew arrived on board the new Shenzhou-21 crew’s spacecraft, landing at 4.40pm, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Ground search and rescue crew located the landing site shortly after the capsule touched down and confirmed the three crew members – Chen Dong, Wang Jie and Chen Zhongrui – were in good physical condition.
“The three astronauts of Shenzhou-20 stayed in orbit for 204 days, breaking the longest stay in orbit for a single Chinese astronaut crew,” CMSA said on Friday.
“I think this mission was a valuable experience, a test, and I’m very proud,” Chen Dong, commander of the Shenzhou-20 crew, told state broadcaster CCTV after exiting the re-entry capsule.