3 Chinese Astronauts safely return to Earth after 6 months in space

Beijing: Three-member crew of China's Shenzhou-15 manned spacecraft successfully landed in China on Sunday after their six-month mission on board the Tiangong space station, China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said.

"At 6:33 on June 4, 2023, Beijing time [22:33 GMT on Saturday], the return capsule of the Shenzhou-15 manned spacecraft landed successfully at the Dongfeng landing site [in China's autonomous Inner Mongolia region]. The manned mission of Shenzhou-15 was a complete success," the CMSA said in a statement.

Some 30 minutes later the astronauts were carried out of the capsule, the agency said, adding that they are in good physical condition.

The crew includes three astronauts — crew commander Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu — who arrived at the orbital station on November 30, 2022. During their stay on the station, they made four spacewalks and conducted several scientific and technical experiments. The Shenzhou-16 crew that came to Tiangong on May 30 will continue working aboard it for around five more months.

The Tiangong space station is China's first long-term orbital station. It operates in low Earth orbit between 210 and 280 miles above the surface. Its first module, Tianhe, was launched in 2021. (UNI)