Astronaut Tang Hongbo is out of the return capsule of Shenzhou XVII spacecraft's reentry capsule at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, April 30, 2024. [Photo by Wang Jiangbo/chinadaily.com.cn]
The Shenzhou XVII mission crew returned to Earth on Tuesday afternoon, concluding a six-month mission onboard the Tiangong space station.
The Shenzhou XVII spacecraft's reentry capsule, carrying the three astronauts—mission commander Senior Colonel Tang Hongbo, Lieutenant Colonel Tang Shengjie and Lieutenant Colonel Jiang Xinlin—touched down at 5:46 pm at the Dongfeng Landing Site in the middle of the Gobi Desert in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region after flying nine hours on the return journey.
Following safety checks outside the capsule, ground recovery personnel from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center opened the hatch of the bell-shaped vehicle and conducted a preliminary examination of the astronauts' condition.
Sitting inside the capsule, Tang Hongbo told ground controllers in Beijing via radio that his team had landed and they were "feeling good".
Astronaut Tang Hongbo is out of the return capsule of Shenzhou XVII spacecraft's reentry capsule at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, April 30, 2024. [Photo by Wang Jiangbo/chinadaily.com.cn]
The astronauts were then carried out of the capsule and will be transferred to medical-support vans for further examinations.
The Shenzhou XVII spacecraft departed from the Tiangong station at 8:43 am on Tuesday and then started the atmospheric reentry procedure.
Before setting out on their return trip, the Shenzhou XVII team handed over their work to the Shenzhou XVIII crew and sorted and transferred materials between the station and their spaceship.
Astronaut Tang Shengjie is out of the return capsule of Shenzhou XVII spacecraft's reentry capsule at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, April 30, 2024. [Photo by Wang Jiangbo/chinadaily.com.cn]
Tang Hongbo and his teammates, who are the sixth crew to inhabit the Tiangong, took over the space station in late October from their peers in the Shenzhou XVI mission.
After this mission, Tang Hongbo has spent 279 days in orbit, extending his lead as the Chinese astronaut to have spent the longest time in space.
Tang made his first journey into space in June 2021 on the three-month Shenzhou XII mission, becoming one of the space station's first inhabitants. During that mission, he spent 92 days and four hours in orbit.
Astronaut Jiang Xinlin is out of the return capsule of Shenzhou XVII spacecraft's reentry capsule at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, April 30, 2024. [Photo by Wang Jiangbo/chinadaily.com.cn]
During the Shenzhou XVII mission, the crew conducted a total of 84 scientific experiments and technological tests in fields including life science, space medicine, and new materials.
More than 200 pieces of samples have been created through these experiments and tests and will be sent back to Earth with the Shenzhou XVII vessel.
The astronauts also carried out two spacewalks that completed the first extravehicular repair operation for the Tiangong, according to the agency.
In the next six months, the Tiangong station will be manned by the Shenzhou XVIII trio, headed by Senior Colonel Ye Guangfu, who arrived at the colossal flying outpost on Friday morning.
Astronaut Tang Shengjie is out of the return capsule of Shenzhou XVII spacecraft's reentry capsule at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, April 30, 2024. [Photo by Wang Jiangbo/chinadaily.com.cn]
Astronaut Jiang Xinlin is out of the return capsule of Shenzhou XVII spacecraft's reentry capsule at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, April 30, 2024. [Photo by Wang Jiangbo/chinadaily.com.cn]
