Three Chinese astronauts have safely returned to Earth after completing a mission on the Tiangong space station that lasted nearly seven months. The Shenzhou-21 spacecraft landed in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Friday evening.
The three astronauts—Commander Zhang Lu, along with Wu Fei and Zhang Hongjiang—have safely returned to Earth. Before their return, they handed over their mission duties and shared their spaceflight experience with the new crew of Shenzhou-23, which arrived at the space station on Monday.
According to Xinhua News Agency, during their time aboard the space station, the Shenzhou-21 crew conducted multiple scientific experiments, processed and transmitted experimental data back to Earth, and managed the equipment and leftover supplies to hand over to the next crew.
Additionally, the crew performed three spacewalks. Zhang Lu, who previously took part in the Shenzhou-15 mission, set a record as the Chinese astronaut with the most spacewalks, totaling seven.
Upon returning to Earth, Zhang Lu expressed deep gratitude for being back in his homeland. He thanked his family, colleagues, space program supporters, and the Chinese people for their contributions to the mission's success.
Meanwhile, the new crew aboard Shenzhou-23 has begun their mission on the Tiangong space station. One member of this crew will remain in space for up to one year, marking another significant milestone in China’s space program.
Among the new crew is Lai Jia Ying, a female astronaut born and raised in Hong Kong, who made history as the first Hong Kong native to join a Chinese space mission.
The return of the Shenzhou-21 crew comes as China accelerates its space capabilities. The Chinese government aims to land humans on the Moon by 2030, following the successful development of the Tiangong space station. China built Tiangong after not joining the International Space Station (ISS) program due to security concerns and limited cooperation with the United States.
The success of the Shenzhou-21 mission represents a major step forward for China’s space program and demonstrates the country's commitment to becoming one of the world’s leading space powers in the future.
: SourceAP
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