Shenzhou 11 returns after China’s longest space mission

BEIJING: China’s Shenzhou 11 space capsule landed safely in the northern region of Inner Mongolia yesterday with two astronauts aboard, state media said, completing the country’s longest manned space mission to date.

China Central Television showed images of the craft – whose name translates as ‘Divine Vessel’ – on the ground f lanked by Chinese flags and support teams. State news agency Xinhua said the capsule had touched down ‘successfully’ just after 2pm.

The two astronauts, Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong, spent 30 days aboard the Tiangong 2 space laboratory, or ‘Heavenly Palace 2’, which China is using to carry out experiments ahead of a longer-range plan to have a permanent manned space station around 2022.

They did not immediately emerge from the capsule as CCTV said they were undergoing medical examination, but mission commander Zhang Youxia, who is also a senior military official, said in a televised speech that they were in ‘good condition’.

“The Tiangong 2 and Shenzhou 11 flight duties were a complete success,” Zhang said.

Tiangong 2 will remain in its orbit and next docks with Tianzhou 1, China’s first cargo spacecraft, which is set to be launched in April next year, according to state media.

In a manned space mission in 2013, three Chinese astronauts spent 15 days in orbit and docked with a space laboratory, the Tiangong 1. Advancing China’s space programme is a priority for Beijing, with President Xi Jinping calling for the country to establish itself as a space power.

The US Defense Department has highlighted China’s increasing space capabilities, saying it was pursuing activities aimed at preventing other nations using space-based assets in a crisis. — Reuters