The Shenzhou-18's return capsule, carrying three Chinese astronauts, returned to Earth early Monday morning after a six-month space station mission.
The return capsule, carrying astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 01:24 (Beijing Time) on Monday, and the crew had all exited the capsule by 02:15, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
After spending 192 days in orbit, the three astronauts returned in good health, and the Shenzhou-18 manned mission was a success, the CMSA said.
"This search and rescue mission went particularly smoothly. This is also the second time our landing site has carried out the recovery mission of the return capsule under dark and low-temperature conditions," said Xu Peng, leader of the ground command team for the Shenzhou-18 search and rescue mission.
Shenzhou-18 commander Ye Guangfu, who now holds the record for the longest stay in orbit among Chinese astronauts, was the first of the three crew members to emerge from the return capsule.
"I am proud of my motherland. I am grateful to the great motherland, the people of China, and the entire project team for making our dream of spaceflight a reality and ensuring our safe return. Our Shenzhou spacecraft family has continued the relay of space exploration, and I believe that a new record for time spent in orbit by Chinese astronauts will soon be set," Ye said.
"During this trip to realize our space dream, our crew members united as one and collaborated effectively with the ground teams. The two extravehicular activities were completed smoothly, as were the in-orbit scientific research experiments," said Li Cong, the second astronaut to emerge from the return capsule.
"Returning to Earth from space is a mixture of excitement and joy at being back home, along with a sense of attachment to space. The greatest feeling at this moment is that I am so proud of our great motherland," said Li Guangsu, the third astronaut.
The Shenzhou-18 crew arrived in Beijing by plane on Monday after a six-month space station mission.
They will now enter a period of medical quarantine and undergo comprehensive health evaluations, the CMSA said, adding that they will meet with the press in Beijing afterward.
"The three astronauts completed their entire process of readapting to gravity smoothly. Following our evaluation and initial medical examinations, their physical health is good. This shows that their intensive training for the mission has produced very good results," said Xu Chong, an official at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center.
The Shenzhou-18 crew was launched into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on April 25. Before their return, they handed over the space station to the Shenzhou-19 astronauts, who boarded on Oct. 30.
On May 28, the crew completed their first spacewalk. During the 8.5-hour extravehicular activity (EVA), astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu successfully installed protective devices against space debris, among other tasks.
On July 3, the Shenzhou-18 astronauts completed their second spacewalk, which lasted about 6.5 hours.
The crew also conducted a series of scientific experiments, advancing research in space material science, space life science, and space medicine.
Shenzhou-18 crew in good health after returning safely to Earth
