The return capsule of the Shenzhou-22 spaceship is pictured on the Dongfeng touchdown web site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 29, 2026. The return capsule of the Shenzhou-22 spaceship, carrying the Shenzhou-21 astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang, touched down on the Dongfeng touchdown web site on Friday. The three astronauts are all in good well being situation, the China Manned Space Agency stated, noting that the Shenzhou-21 spaceflight mission is an entire success. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
The three astronauts of China’s Shenzhou-21 mission returned to Earth safely on Friday night aboard the Shenzhou-22 crewed spaceship, wrapping up a 210-day keep in orbit that set a brand new record for the longest single-crew mission aboard China’s house station.
The trio consisting of Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang are all in good well being, stated the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), noting that the Shenzhou-21 spaceflight mission is an entire success.
At 7:20 p.m. (Beijing Time), the Beijing Aerospace Control Center issued a return command by way of the bottom station, and in response the orbital capsule of the Shenzhou-22 spaceship separated from the return capsule.
The brake engine then ignited, and the return capsule separated from the propulsion capsule. The return capsule touched down at 8:11 p.m. on the Dongfeng touchdown web site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the CMSA stated, whereas by 8:59 p.m., the Shenzhou-21 crew had all left the return capsule.
“One person’s voyage to the sea of stars rests on a whole team’s absolute devotion and loyalty,” stated Zhang Lu, mission commander of the crew and a veteran astronaut on his second spaceflight, expressing his gratitude for the help of his household, all employees collaborating within the manned house program, and most significantly, the motherland and the Chinese folks.
Zhang Lu has accomplished a complete of seven extravehicular actions (EVAs) to date, turning into the Chinese astronaut who has carried out probably the most spacewalks to date.
Ahead of China’s National Science and Technology Workers Day on May 30, Zhang additionally introduced a rigorously preserved apple again to Earth as a tribute to all science and know-how staff throughout the nation.
“On the launch day of the Shenzhou-21 space mission, the ground support team gave us an apple to wish us a safe and smooth mission,” he stated. “So when we departed the Tiangong space station, we deliberately brought an apple back to give to all sci-tech workers, and say to them: thank you for your tireless hard work.”
Wu, the spaceflight engineer of the crew, who accomplished three spacewalks throughout his 210-day maiden mission to the Chinese house station, is the youngest Chinese astronaut to date to perform EVAs.
“Being entrusted with such an important responsibility on my first spaceflight is the result of my motherland’s trust, my predecessors’ guidance, and the entire crew’s concerted efforts, which enabled me to fulfill the mission successfully,” stated Wu.
Zhang Hongzhang, payload specialist of the crew, oversaw a slew of scientific experiments within the house station, together with the tasks he co-designed.
“Moving from a ground-based laboratory to the space station, it is our great motherland that has allowed me to realize the perfect integration of my scientific aspirations and spaceflight dream,” he stated.
During the Shenzhou-21 mission, the crew carried out three spacewalks and accomplished duties such because the inspection and photographing of the Shenzhou-20 spaceship return capsule’s viewport window and the set up of house particles shielding gadgets on the house station, whereas in addition they carried out a number of cargo in-and-out operations.
China launched the Shenzhou-21 spaceship on Oct. 31, 2025 to ship the Shenzhou-21 crew to its house station for rotation with the Shenzhou-20 crew. However, the Shenzhou-20 crew later discovered that the Shenzhou-20 spaceship’s return capsule viewport window had suffered a suspected affect from house particles throughout its mission and was unfit for the crew return mission.
On Nov. 14, 2025, the Shenzhou-20 crew returned safely aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft. On Nov. 25, 2025, China launched the Shenzhou-22 spaceship to present an emergency return vessel for the Shenzhou-21 crew.
DIVERSE SPACE EXPERIMENTS
The Shenzhou-21 crew achieved new leads to an array of scientific experiments and technological exams masking microgravity basic physics, house materials science, house life sciences, aerospace medication and new house applied sciences.
The crew accomplished electrochemical optical in-situ analysis of lithium-ion batteries when it comes to house purposes, in addition to associated experiments within the fields of life sciences, fluid and combustion experiments.
The crew additionally achieved, for the primary time aboard China’s house station, the closed-environment breeding of mice, laying a technical basis for future house mammal experiments. In addition, they grew low-defect indium selenide crystals in orbit, which have been used to put together high-performance field-effect transistor prototype gadgets on the bottom, demonstrating considerably superior efficiency.
In the sphere of house medication, the crew achieved non-contact detection of in-orbit physiological indicators by means of clever recognition of facial micro-movements, and constructed a preliminary mannequin for astronaut train fatigue.
They realized the aeroponic cultivation of cherry tomatoes and wheat for the primary time on China’s house station, validating associated key applied sciences. They additionally efficiently achieved in-orbit ignition of a brand new ionic liquid propellant, acquiring dynamic optical info on the catalytic ignition and sustained combustion processes.