Three Chinese astronauts safely returned to Earth on Monday morning after a six-month mission aboard the Tiangong space station, marking another milestone in China’s ambitious space exploration program, The Associated Press reports.
The Shenzhou-15 capsule touched down in a remote area of Inner Mongolia at 1:24 a.m. local time, with a parachute slowing its descent through the night sky. The crew, consisting of astronauts Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming, and Zhang Lu, emerged from the capsule shortly after landing, greeted by the flapping Chinese national flag.
This mission marks the culmination of a successful six-month stay on Tiangong, where the astronauts conducted a variety of experiments, performed spacewalks, and installed equipment to protect the station from space debris. Last week, they welcomed a new three-person crew, consisting of one woman and two men, who will continue the research and maintenance work on the station.
China’s space program has seen significant advancements in recent years, including bringing back lunar rocks and landing a rover on Mars. The nation aims to land a person on the moon by 2030, which would make them only the second country after the United States to achieve this feat.
Despite these successes, China’s space program has also drawn criticism, particularly regarding the creation of space debris. In August, a Chinese rocket stage reportedly broke up during the launch of the first 18 satellites for a global internet service, similar to Elon Musk’s Starlink. This incident, among others, has led to concerns about the growing threat of space debris.
Tiangong, meaning “Heavenly Palace,” is a modular space station that has been operational for two years. While only Chinese astronauts have visited the station so far, the space agency has announced discussions with other nations for potential collaboration in future missions.
China’s ambition to lead the world in space science research by 2050 was outlined last month.
