Chinese space station crew returns after 6 months in orbit

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Three Chinese crew members returned to Earth early Monday after staying at the Tiangong space station for more than six months, state news agency Xinhua said.
Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangshou were all in “good health” after landing in the return capsule of the spacecraft Shenzhou at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia, Xinhua News Agency said.
The three traveled to Tiangong in late April, and on October 30, they met three new astronauts, including Japan’s only female astronaut, and took over for five days before returning home.
Under President Xi Jinping, China is stepping up plans to realize its “space dream.”
Its space program was the third to send humans into orbit, and it also landed robotic probes on Mars and the Moon.
The Tiangong Space Station is the crown jewel of the program, with a team of three astronauts who rotate every three to six months.
Its core module will be launched in 2021 and will be used for about 10 years.
The Chinese government has said it plans to send a manned spacecraft to the moon by 2030 and plans to build a base on the moon.
© 2024 AFP
Source: Chinese space station crew returns after 6 months in orbit (November 3, 2024) https://phys.org/news/2024-11-chinese-space-station-crew-months.html Retrieved November 3, 2024 from
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