The astronauts aboard the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft are en route back to Earth after completing their mission at the Tiangong space station. Their expected landing is scheduled for Wednesday, November 5.
On Tuesday, a ceremony took place to mark the crew change, where the outgoing astronauts handed over the station”s keys. The crew of Shenzhou-20, which includes Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie, has completed all their assigned tasks and is preparing for a safe landing in Dongfeng, located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in northern China, according to the Xinhua news agency.
The Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, carrying the incoming astronauts, arrived at the space station early Saturday. This new crew is led by mission commander Zhang Lu, alongside astronauts Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang.
During their approximately six-month stay in orbit, the Shenzhou-21 crew plans to conduct 27 new experiments. These experiments will focus on various fields, including life sciences, space biotechnology, space medicine, material science, fluid physics, combustion in microgravity, and novel space technologies.
This mission marks a significant step in China”s continued expansion of its capabilities in space exploration, as the nation aims to enhance its presence in the international space community.
