The three astronauts of China's Shenzhou-17 crewed spaceflight mission returned to Earth on Tuesday after completing their six-month mission aboard the Tiangong space station and conducting an in-orbit rotation with the newly-arrived Shenzhou-18 crew.
Shenzhou-17's return capsule, carrying astronauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 17:46 Beijing Time, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
Since their mission to the Chinese space station got underway last October, the trio have witnessed the arrival of the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft, completed two extravehicular activities, carried out 84 in-orbit experiments with more than 200 samples produced, and have brought back over 400 material samples retrieved after being exposed to space outside the station's Wentian lab module.
During their second spacewalk, the Shenzhou-17 astronauts completed repair work on the solar panels of the space station's core module, which had been subject to minor damage by space debris. This marked China's first-ever extravehicular repair mission.
On Sunday, they handed over control of the Tiangong space station to the crew of Shenzhou-18 who arrived in the early hours of Friday.
Spaceship carrying Shenzhou-17 crew successfully lands in north China
Spaceship carrying Shenzhou-17 crew successfully lands in north China
Spaceship carrying Shenzhou-17 crew successfully lands in north China
Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has launched a series of public-benefit programs to ensure and improve the people's wellbeing in recent years, and these projects have yielded fruitful results, said Erkin Tuniyaz, chairman of the regional government, at a press briefing held in Beijing on Tuesday.
Xinjiang continued to increase investment in educational resources. The children in both urban and rural areas in southern Xinjiang have received 15 years of free education from kindergarten to high school.
Throughout the region, there is one kindergarten for every 102 preschoolers and one primary school for every 783 elementary students. The gross enrollment rate in senior high schools is 98.25 percent.
In terms of employment, the entire region created 482,200 new urban jobs in 2023, maintaining a dynamic zero status for urban households with no employed members.
"We consistently prioritized local employment for surplus rural labor, encouraged them to find jobs outside their hometowns if they wish. We implemented more policies and measures to promote employment, increase income, and provide warmth to the people. We enhanced service guarantees, and created multiple channels to promote employment and entrepreneurship. We worked hard to achieve fuller and better employment," Erkin Tuniyaz said.
In the healthcare sector, local authorities have channeled more high-quality medical resources toward lower-level hospitals. A health service network covering urban and rural areas has been basically established.
Currently, every village has a standardized clinic, and county-level hospitals are able to provide telemedicine.
In terms of housing, a total of 2.7 million earthquake-resistant houses have been built. More than 11 million farmers and herdsmen have moved into new homes.
Xinjiang's public-benefit programs yield fruitful results
