China's Shenzhou-18 crew to return to Earth on Nov 4 following handover

China

China's Shenzhou-18 crew to return to Earth on Nov 4 following handover

2024-10-29 09:53 Last Updated At：13:37

China's Shenzhou-18 crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from the Tiangong space station on Nov 4, announced the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Tuesday.

Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA, briefed the press on the handover plan between the Shenzhou-18 and Shenzhou-19 mission crews at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, ahead of the launch of the Shenzhou-19 spaceship scheduled for Wednesday.

"According to the plan, Shenzhou-19 spacecraft will execute the fast autonomous rendezvous and docking procedures after entering the orbit. The spacecraft will dock with the forward port of the Tianhe core module in 6.5 hours to form a three-module and three-ship assembly. During their stay, the Shenzhou-19 crew will welcome the coming and docking of Tianzhou-8 cargo ship and Shenzhou-20 manned spaceship. The crew is planned to return to the Dongfeng landing site in late April or early May next year," Lin said.

"Now the flight equipment qualities of the spaceship and rocket are under control; the astronaut crew is in good condition, and the facilities and equipment of ground systems are performing well. The space station operates normally in orbit, and all pre-launch preparations are ready. Shenzhou-18 crew plans to return to the Dongfeng landing site on Nov 4 after the two crews complete the handover procedure in orbit," he said.

China congratulates Mia Mottley on re-election as Barbadian PM

China congratulates Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley on her re-election, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Friday, calling for joint efforts to bring the two countries' traditional friendship to a new level.

Lin Jian, the spokesman, made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to a media question about the Barbadian elections.

"China congratulates Prime Minister Mottley on her re-election. Barbados is an important cooperative partner for China in the Caribbean region. Over the 49 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China-Barbados ties have developed in a sound and stable manner. China is willing to work together with Barbados to continue deepening practical cooperation in various fields and elevate the traditional friendly relations between the two countries to a new level," he said.

Barbados' general elections results were confirmed Thursday, with the Barbados Labor Party winning all 30 seats in the House of Assembly. Mottley, who leads the party, will serve as prime minister for a third consecutive term.