Shenzhou XXI astronauts return after 7 months in space

The Shenzhou XXI mission crew returned to Earth on Friday evening, concluding the longest single orbital journey ever made by Chinese astronauts.

A reentry capsule carrying mission commander Senior Colonel Zhang Lu, spaceflight engineer Major Wu Fei and payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang touched down at 8:11 pm at the Dongfeng landing site in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region after flying for more than five hours on its Earth-bound journey.

Following safety checks outside the capsule, ground recovery personnel from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center — the home port for China's manned spaceflights — opened the hatch of the bell-shaped capsule and conducted a preliminary check of the astronauts' health.

The Shenzhou XXI crew members were then helped out of the capsule and seated on chairs to share their experiences in a live program with a reporter from China Central Television before being taken to medical examination vehicles.

Zhang Lu said that he is thrilled to return to the motherland, and he wishes to thank his family, colleagues, mission leaders and everyone else who supported the spaceflight.