China's Shenzhou XIX spaceship separates from space station combination

JIUQUAN -- China's Shenzhou XIX crewed spaceship separated from the space station combination at 4 am (Beijing Time) on Wednesday, and the astronauts aboard — Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze — started to return to Earth, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The spaceship is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Wednesday.

The CMSA said that prior to the separation, the Shenzhou XIX crew, with the assistance of the ground staff, completed various tasks such as setting the status of the space station combination, processing and transmitting the experimental data, and transferring remaining supplies. The Shenzhou XIX crew also carried out handover work and exchanged in-orbit work experience with the Shenzhou XX crew.

The return of the Shenzhou XIX crewed spaceship, originally scheduled for Tuesday, had been postponed due to unfavorable windy weather at the Dongfeng landing site, according to the CMSA.

The agency added that the meteorological conditions at the Dongfeng landing site meet the mission requirements at present, and all preparations have been made to welcome the crew's return.

China launched the Shenzhou XX crewed spaceship on April 24, sending three astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie to the space station for another six-month mission.