Shenzhou XXI crew returns after record-long space mission

The Shenzhou XXI mission crew landed safely at a designated site in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Friday, concluding the longest single orbital mission ever undertaken by Chinese astronauts.

A re-entry capsule carrying the three astronauts — mission commander Senior Colonel Zhang Lu, spaceflight engineer Major Wu Fei and payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang — touched down at the Dongfeng Landing Site in the Badain Jaran Desert in northwestern China after traveling for more than five hours on the return journey to Earth.

Ground recovery personnel from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center conducted initial safety checks outside the capsule before opening the hatch of the bell-shaped vehicle to carry out preliminary health examinations of the astronauts.

The Shenzhou XXI crew, representing China's 16th crewed spaceflight mission and the 10th group of residents aboard the Tiangong space station, arrived at the orbital outpost on Nov 1. They spent a total of 210 days in space and completed three spacewalks, along with a range of scientific and technological tasks.

Zhang Lu and his crewmates handed over control of the space station on Thursday morning to their successors from the Shenzhou XXIII mission, who entered the colossal spacecraft on Monday.