Status: 17.09.2021 09:55 a.m.
After 90 days in space, the astronauts on the Chinese spaceship “Shenzhou 12” landed back on earth. It was the longest manned mission of the People’s Republic to date. China plans to complete its first space station in 2022.
After China’s longest manned space mission to date, three astronauts have landed back on earth. The return capsule of the spaceship “Shenzhou 12” (Magic Ship) was slowed down by a large parachute and finally touched down in the Gobi desert in northern China, as can be seen on live images from the state broadcaster CCTV.
CCTV showed images of rescue teams rushing to the landing site in off-road vehicles and helicopters to help the astronauts out of the capsule. “I want to tell my parents that I’m back. In good health and in a good mood. Everything is great!” Tang Hongbo said into the television cameras, while he and his two astronaut colleagues were relaxing on white chairs in front of the capsule.
The return capsule of the manned spacecraft “Shenzhou 12” successfully lands on the Dongfeng landing site.
Image: dpa
“Himmelspalast” should be completed in 2022
Astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo took off from Earth on June 17 and spent three months in space – a record for Chinese space travelers. They spent a large part of their trip in the “Tiangong” (Heavenly Palace) space station, which is currently under construction and which so far only consists of the “Tianhe” (Heavenly Harmony) module and should be completed by 2022. Until then, China wants to bring two more laboratory modules, each weighing a good 20 tons, into space.
The next crew is expected to leave for the new station in October. Before that, another cargo flight with material is planned for the coming week. If the international space station ISS goes out of operation as planned in the coming years, China would be the only country that still operates a permanent outpost in space. Chinese astronauts were not allowed to participate in missions on the ISS at the urging of the USA.
China is pushing ahead with its ambitious space program. After several successful flights to the moon, the People’s Republic only brought the “Zhurong” rover to Mars in mid-May. The People’s Republic is the first nation to manage this maneuver on its first flight to the Red Planet. In the medium term, China also wants to send people to the moon.