BEIJING, 5th June, 2023 (WAM) — China's "dream crew" of three taikonauts, Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming, and Zhang Lu, has returned safely to Beijing after spending a record-breaking six months in the China Space Station, Global Times reported.
The Shenzhou-15 manned spacecraft carrying the crew successfully landed at the Dongfeng landing site in the Gobi Desert, Inner Mongolia.
The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) confirmed that the crew members were in good health. During their stay, the crew conducted four spacewalks, setting a new record for China's manned space programme. They also completed various experiments and payload tasks, collecting valuable data for research purposes.
The Shenzhou-15 mission marked an important milestone for the China Space Station, as it marked the first direct hand-over between two manned spaceflight crews. The crew also played a role in assisting the scientific team in conducting experiments, including international research on human pluripotent stem cells.
With the arrival of the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft, the space station has reached its largest configuration, consisting of three modules and three spaceships, with a total mass of nearly 100 tons.