December 5, 2022
BEIJING – The three astronauts on the Shenzhou XIV mission returned to Earth on Sunday evening after a six-month mission that completed the in-orbit assembly of the Tiangong space station.
A reentry capsule carrying the crew – Senior Colonel Chen Dong, the mission commander, Senior Colonel Liu Yang and Senior Colonel Cai Xuzhe – touched down on Earth at the Dongfeng Landing Site in northwestern China’s Gobi Desert at 8:09 pm after flying nine hours in a re-entry trajectory.
This has become the first time that Chinese astronauts have returned to Earth at night.
Ground recovery personnel soon opened the hatch of the capsule and then conducted preliminary examination on the astronauts conditions.
The crew members told them that they “are feeling very good”.
Astronaut Liu Yang is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]
A lot of equipment used in the recovery operation had been added with additional cold-proof layers to resist against the chilly temperatures in the landing region, as low as minus 14 degrees Celsius.
In their chairs, the astronauts shared their feelings with a group of domestic reporters, saying they are proud of the motherland and the country’s space programs.
Then they were moved into special care vehicles to take health checks.
Carrying Chen’s team, the Shenzhou XIV spacecraft undocked from the Tiangong station at 11:01 am on Sunday.
On Friday evening, the Shenzhou XIV team handed over the control of the Tiangong station to the Shenzhou XV crew.
Astronaut Cai Xuzhe is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]
During the crew’s flight, they monitored the arrival of the Wentian and Mengtian space lab modules, which completed the Tiangong’s in-orbit assembly. They also carried out three spacewalks and gave a science lecture to Chinese students.
Astronaut Chen Dong is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]
The station is now manned by the Shenzhou XV mission crew — Major General Fei Junlong, Senior Colonel Deng Qingming and Senior Colonel Zhang Lu, who arrived on Wednesday.
Astronaut Cai Xuzhe is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo by Gu Jianwen/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Astronaut Liu Yang is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo by Gu Jianwen/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Astronaut Chen Dong is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo by Gu Jianwen/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Astronaut Liu Yang is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo by Wang Jiangbo/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Astronaut Cai Xuzhe is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo by Wang Jiangbo/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Astronaut Chen Dong is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]
Astronaut Liu Yang is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]
![Astronaut Liu Yang is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo by Gu Jianwen/For chinadaily.com.cn]](https://asianews.network/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/638d57a8a31057c4b4b11001.jpeg)
Astronaut Liu Yang is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo by Gu Jianwen/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Astronaut Liu Yang is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]
The return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship touches down safely at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]
The return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship touches down safely at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]
The return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship touches down safely at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]
The return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship touches down safely at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]
![The return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship touches down safely at the Dongfeng landing site in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]](https://asianews.network/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/638d57a9a31057c4b4b11017.jpeg)
The return capsule of the Shenzhou XIV manned spaceship touches down safely at the Dongfeng landing site in North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Dec 4, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]