The three astronauts of China’s Shenzhou 16 mission returned to Earth on Monday (Oct. 30) after finishing a five-month stint aboard the nation’s house station.
Astronauts Jing Haipeng (the mission’s commander), Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao touched down of their Shenzhou 16 spacecraft return capsule on the Dongfeng touchdown website Monday round 8:10 p.m. EDT (0010 GMT or 8:10 a.m. on Oct. 31, Beijing time), based on the China Manned Area Company (CMSA).
The Shenzhou 16 spacecraft separated from the Tiangong house station on Monday at 8:27 a.m. EDT (1227 GMT; 8:37 p.m. Beijing time), CMSA stated. Jing and firm had earlier handed over management of the house station to the Shenzhou 17 crew, who arrived on Oct. 26.
Associated: China’s Shenzhou 17 astronauts arrive at Tiangong house station (video)
Zhu and Gui have been the primary members of China’s third astronaut choice group to fly to house, with Gui additionally being the primary payload specialist to fly to Tiangong.
Mission highlights included Jing and Zhu conducting an eight-hour extravehicular exercise, or spacewalk; cultivating greens; and a dwell, interactive lecture, which notably concerned lighting a match on the house station.
Shenzhou 16 was the fifth crewed mission to Tiangong and China’s eleventh astronaut flight general. The brand new Shenzhou 17 crew will stay aboard Tiangong for six months.
China goals to maintain Tiangong operational and completely occupied for at the least a decade. The nation additionally plans to increase the T-shaped orbital outpost, which at the moment consists of three modules and is about 20% as huge because the Worldwide Area Station.
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