Shenzhou-18 crew return to Earth after 6-month mission in space
The three astronauts of China’s Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceflight mission returned to Earth safely on Monday after completing their mission aboard the country’s Tiangong space station.
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), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Shenzhou-18 commander Ye Guangfu, who now holds the longest duration of 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 the new record of time spent in orbit by Chinese astronauts will soon be set,” he 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 come out of the return capsule.
All three astronauts were out of the capsule by 02:15 (Beijing Time).
“Space is vast, magical and beautiful. We all enjoy the pleasure brought by weightlessness. Returning to Earth from space is a mixture of the excitement and joy of being back home, as well as 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 astronauts are all in good physical condition, and the mission is a complete success, according to the CMSA.
The Shenzhou-18 crew was sent into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on April 25. Prior to the return, the crew completed all planned tasks and handed over the space station to the Shenzhou-19 astronauts who got on board on Oct 30.