The longest-ever human space mission in Chinese history, three astronauts of the Shenzhou-12 crew returned to Earth on Friday after staying three months on China’s Tiangong space station.
A spacecraft, Shenzhou 12 carrying three Chinese astronauts: Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, and Tang Hongbo touched down in the Gobi Desert in Inner Mongolia today (Sept. 17) at 1:34 a.m. EDT (0534 GMT; 1:34 p.m. Beijing time) today.
Astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo were blasted off from Earth on June 16 and spent three months in space – a record for Chinese space travelers.
The return capsule of the Shenzhou 12 ship was slowed on its descent by a large parachute and finally touched down in the Gobi Desert in northern China, as shown live on Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
Speaking to a CCTV journalist at the landing site, Commander Nie Haisheng said he believed there would be more Chinese astronauts to follow their achievements, who would “set new records and reach new heights” in space travel.
Space station ‘Tiangong’ (Heavenly Palace) is independently constructed and operated by China, which is still under construction.
According to Xinhua news agency, China’s Tiangong space station demonstrating the country’s breakthroughs in technologies concerning the astronauts’ long-term stay and health care, recycling and life support system, supply of space materials, extravehicular activities and operations, as well as in-orbit maintenance.
View high-definition pictures taken by the Shenzhou 12 astronauts in orbit.
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