Chinese taikonaut crew returns from space station

The taikonaut crew at China's Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) Space Station in Earth's orbit has completed their mission and returned to Earth.

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Chinese taikonaut crew returns from space station

The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced that the Shenzhou-16 space capsule, carrying taikonauts Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu, and Gui Haichao, landed at the Dongfeng landing site in the Gobi Desert in the morning hours.

It was reported that the taikonauts, who spent 154 days in Earth's orbit, are in good health.

The Shenzhou-16 spacecraft was launched on May 30, 2023, and the crew reached the station and began their mission on the same day.

The crew, which was the fifth group of taikonauts sent to the Tiangong Space Station, carried out one spacewalk, 70 space experiments, and a live lecture activity during their 5-month stay.

The crew handed over their duties to the new taikonaut team consisting of Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin, who were sent to the station on October 26 via the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft.

CHINA'S SPACE STATION TIANGONG

China established its own space station in orbit after the U.S. banned cooperation in space research and prevented its participation in the International Space Station (ISS) program.

The "Tiangong" (Heavenly Palace) Station, which consists of one core module and two laboratory modules and is planned to have a space telescope added to it, was built by modeling Russia's now-defunct Mir Space Station.

The main part of the station, the core module called "Tianhe" (heavenly harmony), was launched on April 29, 2021; the first laboratory module "Wentian" (quest for the heavens) on July 24, 2022; and the second laboratory module "Mengtian" (dreaming of the heavens) on October 31, 2022.

With the addition of the laboratory modules to the core module, the installation of the station's T-shaped main structure was completed, and the station entered the "application and development phase."

A space telescope called "Xuntian" (surveying the heavens) is also planned to be added to the station as a separate module.

Personnel are transported to the station, where a 3-person taikonaut crew serves on a rotating basis, via "Shenzhou" (divine vessel) spacecraft, while supply materials are transported via "Tianzhou" (heavenly vessel) spacecraft.

News Source: AA