Chinese astronauts land back on Earth after six-month mission

Three Chinese astronauts person landed backmost connected Earth aft six months spent completing operation of the Tiangong station, authorities TV reported.

Commander Chen Dong and astronauts Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe touched down successful a capsule astatine a landing tract successful the Gobi Desert successful bluish China astatine astir 12.10pm, according to China Central Television.

Before departing, the astronauts overlapped their enactment with 3 different colleagues who arrived connected the Shenzhou-15 ngo earlier this week for their ain six-month stay.

It marked the archetypal clip China has had six astronauts successful abstraction astatine the aforesaid time.

Medical workers carried the astronauts retired of the capsule astir 40 minutes aft landing, and they appeared successful precocious spirits arsenic they waved happily astatine workers astatine the landing site.

Mr Chen, who was archetypal to exit the capsule, said: "I americium precise fortunate to person witnessed the completion of the basal operation of the Chinese abstraction presumption aft six engaged and fulfilling months successful space.

"Like meteors, we returned to the clasp of the motherland."

Another of the astronauts, Ms Liu, recalled however moved she was to spot relatives and colleagues.

The 3 astronauts person been portion of the Shenzhou-14 mission, which launched successful June.

During their clip astatine Tiangong, the astronauts oversaw 5 rendezvous and dockings with assorted spacecraft, including 1 carrying the 3rd of the station's 3 modules.

They besides conducted a scope of experiments, arsenic good arsenic performing 3 spacewalks.

Tiangong is portion of China's plans for a imperishable quality beingness successful orbit and represents a important milestone successful the country's three-decades-long manned abstraction programme, archetypal approved successful 1992.

Weighing astir 66 tonnes without attached spacecraft, it could 1 time beryllium the lone abstraction presumption inactive up and moving if the ISS retires by astir the extremity of the decennary arsenic expected.

The astronauts returned to a state that has been gripped by protests successful caller days, arsenic patience runs retired with the communist regime's strict COVID restrictions.

Lockdown rules person been eased successful immoderate cities arsenic a effect of the demonstrations.