China’s Shenzhou-18 Crew Begins Return to Earth After Successful Space Mission

Beijing, The Gulf Observer: China’s Shenzhou-18 manned spacecraft successfully detached from the Tiangong space station on Sunday at 16:12, with astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu now en route back to Earth, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced.

Before their departure, the Shenzhou-18 crew, in collaboration with ground staff, carried out an array of tasks to prepare the space station for ongoing operations. These activities included setting the station’s configuration, processing and transmitting experimental data, and transferring remaining supplies to the station. Following this, the Shenzhou-18 crew conducted a formal handover with the newly arrived Shenzhou-19 crew.

The Shenzhou-19 mission, launched on October 30, has brought astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze to the space station for a six-month stint, marking the latest rotation in China’s ongoing crewed space missions aimed at advancing research and technology in orbit.

This mission represents another milestone in China’s ambitious space program, with the return of the Shenzhou-18 crew marking the successful completion of their tasks aboard the Tiangong space station.