JIUQUAN - The return capsule of the Shenzhou XX spaceship, carrying no astronauts, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region at 9:34 am (Beijing Time) on Monday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

An on-site inspection confirmed that the exterior of the Shenzhou XX return capsule was generally intact and the items inside were in good condition, the CMSA said, noting that the Shenzhou XX spaceship's return mission was a complete success.

The Shenzhou XXIII spaceship, which will take over the rolling backup task, has arrived at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the CMSA added.

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China launched the Shenzhou XX crewed spaceship on April 24, 2025, sending three astronauts to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission.

However, the Shenzhou XX spacecraft, originally scheduled to return the three astronauts to Earth on Nov 5, failed to meet the requirements for their safe return, according to the CMSA.

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Tiny cracks have been found in the Shenzhou XX return capsule's viewport window, which are most probably caused by external impact from space debris, the CMSA said.