The Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous has been fully prepared for the return of Shenzhou-20 crew scheduled on Friday, after completing rounds of multiple comprehensive drills for over six months in the space.
According to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), the crew's return, originally scheduled for Nov 5, was postponed due to a suspected impact from tiny space debris on the Shenzhou-20 spaceship.
"During the preparation phase after the return was postponed, on one side, we have focused on maintaining the status of our personnel and equipment. On the other side, extensive reviews have been conducted to check the condition of equipment and the validity of rescue supplies. At present, all forces and equipment at the Dongfeng landing site are in good condition. And weather conditions for the search and rescue mission are favorable. [The landing site] is under the condition to carry out all tasks," said Gao Ya, a staff member with the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
Since the Shenzhou-12 mission in 2021, China has adopted the "double insurance" safety protocol that the Long March-2F carrier rocket operates on a "launch one, backup one" and "rolling backup" model. This means a fully prepared rocket and spacecraft combination is always on standby, ready to execute an emergency rescue launch in less than two weeks if required.
Following the delay of the Shenzhou-20's return, the space agency immediately activated its emergency plan and adopted measures, as it said that the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft will be launched at an appropriate time in the future.
So far, the Long March-2F Y22 carrier rocket has been in good shape, which is on call for emergency rescue.
"For the mission this time, we have set the Y22 rocket to an emergency standby status, including functional checks of all systems, restoration to a horizontal state, and hoisting and loading of instruments and equipment on board. At present, the Y22 rocket is in good condition, and all its systems are working normally," said Meng Qingyao, a staff member with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
China launched the Shenzhou-20 manned spacecraft, carrying three astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie, in April this year.
The astronaut trio has completed a series of tasks, including extravehicular activities and conducting various space science experiments.
Landing site ready to welcome Shenzhou-20 crew's return from space
