China's taikonauts return after record-breaking mission
Three taikonauts from the Shenzhou-18 mission safely landed in the Gobi Desert near Dongfeng, marking the end of their six-month stay on the Chinese space station Tiangong, during which they conducted a series of significant scientific experiments.
Xinhua reported that on Sunday and Monday, at 1:24 AM local time (7:24 AM Sunday Eastern Time), the Shenzhou-18 mission capsule touched down in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The crew spent 192 days on the Tiangong station, setting new records for the Chinese space program.
The mission was led by 43-year-old Ye Guangfu, who became the first Chinese astronaut to spend more than 365 days in space with this flight, having previously been a member of the Shenzhou-13 mission in 2021-2022. He was accompanied by two newcomers: 34-year-old Li Cong and 36-year-old Li Guangsu, both fighter pilots.
During the mission, the crew conducted numerous scientific experiments, including studies of ancient microbes. Ye and Li carried out a record-breaking 8.5-hour spacewalk outside the Tiangong station at the end of May. In June, during another outing, they installed protective shields against space debris.
China plans further space expansion
Less than an hour after landing, the taikonauts exited the capsule and were transported to Beijing, where, according to state media, they will undergo comprehensive examinations and recovery.
Since October 30, a new crew has been working on the Tiangong station. They arrived on the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft. This crew includes commander 48-year-old Cai Xuzhe, a participant in the Shenzhou-14 mission, and two newcomers: air force pilot Song Lingdong and scientist Wang Haoze, both born in the 1990s. 34-year-old Wang is the third Chinese woman to participate in a space flight and the first female space-flight engineer.
