2024 RT Amination Banner.gif

China Daily

News> Nation> Content
Published: 12:45, September 17, 2021 | Updated: 18:04, September 17, 2021
Shenzhou XII astronauts land safely after historic 92-day mission
By Zhao Lei & Xinhua
Published:12:45, September 17, 2021 Updated:18:04, September 17, 2021 By Zhao Lei & Xinhua

The return capsule of the Shenzhou XII manned spaceship touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 1:34 pm on September 17. (XINHUA)

The return capsule of the Shenzhou XII manned spaceship touched down at the Dongfeng Landing Site in the Badain Jaran Desert in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region at 1:34 pm Friday, conveying three Chinese astronauts safely back to earth after their three-month mission in space.

The astronauts-mission commander Major General Nie Haisheng, Major General Liu Boming and Senior Colonel Tang Hongbo-were carried out of the return capsule around 2:20 pm, all in good physical condition.

The astronauts on Shenzhou XII-Senior Colonel Tang Hongbo (from left), mission commander Major General Nie Haisheng and Major General Liu Boming-wave to reporters after exiting the return capsule on September 17. (XINHUA)

The astronauts onboard-mission commander Major General Nie Haisheng, Major General Liu Boming and Senior Colonel Tang Hongbo-had been in space for 92 days, almost three times longer than the Shenzhou XI mission

“I believe more astronauts will scale new heights,” said Nie when asked to comment on the successful mission in an interview outside the capsule.

The astronauts had been in space for 92 days, almost three times longer than the Shenzhou XI mission, which saw Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong spend 33 days in orbit.

READ MORE: Q&A: Shenzhou-XII Taikonauts talk with HK students

Before their departure, the astronauts configured the space station, transmitted experimental data back to ground control and arranged materials inside the station, the China Manned Space Agency said.

Shenzhou XII was launched on a Long March 2F carrier rocket that blasted off on June 17 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China. The astronauts entered Tiangong later that day, becoming the first inhabitants of the station.

Nie and his crew were tasked with testing and verifying plans, technologies and equipment for crucial elements of the Tiangong station's construction and operation, such as astronauts' long-term mission arrangements, its life-support system, in-orbit resupply, extravehicular activity and spacecraft maintenance and repair.


Their work was expected to enable the China Manned Space Agency to accumulate experience and check the capability, performance and compatibility of systems involved in the space station program to prepare for the next steps in its construction.

During the mission, the astronauts carried out two extravehicular activities, or spacewalks, using a large robotic arm and other equipment to install and adjust devices outside the station. They also performed a number of scientific experiments and technological tests, and made video calls with President Xi Jinping and hundreds of researchers, teachers and students in Hong Kong.

The three-month Shenzhou XII mission, the nation's seventh manned space trek, is part of the Tiangong program, which aims to complete a three-component station in low-Earth orbit before the end of next year.

Chen Dong (left) and Jing Haipeng conduct an unusual experiment on board Tiangong II-drinking the first cup of tea in microgravity.  (PHOTO / XINHUA)

ALSO READ: Shenzhou XII crew members carry out first spacewalk

In another development, the Tianzhou 3 cargo spacecraft and its carrier-a Long March 7 rocket-were moved on Thursday morning to a launch tower at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, the manned space agency said in a separate statement, noting the robotic spaceship will be dispatched to the Tiangong station in the near future.

Share this story

CHINA DAILY
HONG KONG NEWS
OPEN
Please click in the upper right corner to open it in your browser !