After a record-breaking six-month mission in the Chinese space station, three Chinese astronauts are about to return to Earth.
Commander Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu docked with the Chinese space station hours later after launching on October 15, 2021.
During their nearly six months in space, the trio carried out more than 20 scientific experiments, delivered two science outreach lectures and completed two extravehicular activities.
The latest news about China's space program.
By the end of March, they will have spent 167 days in space and are expected to complete their mission around 180 days later. They will get ready for the arrival of the next crew before they leave.
There are a lot of materials that need to be sorted out before leaving, according to an associate research fellow at the Astronaut Center of China.
A number of important samples should be put in place in advance because the crew of the 14th will come up more than a month after the 13th.
Zhou Jianping, the chief designer of China's human spaceflight program, told the Chinese press on March 4 that the crew would come home in April.
A number of Chinese records have been set. The previous national record for human spaceflight mission duration was set last year by the Shenzhou 12 mission.
Wang was the first Chinese woman to embark on a spacewalk.
The Communist Party of China has been trying to use the space station for domestic legitimacy.
Molly Silk, a PhD researcher of Chinese space policy at the University of Manchester in England, told Space.com recently that the live science lectures aim to highlight China's progress and inspire interest in science.
Silk said that an event with China's taikonauts highlights the reality of the country's technological achievements and displays the competencies and utility of its space program.
The live lecture audiences included students from the provinces and regions of the country.
The International Space Station and the astronauts were featured in solar New Year and lunar New Year celebrations in China.
The crew members are preparing for a return to Earth.
Based on the data obtained from their physical in-orbit examination, we have made targeted adjustments to the entire protection plan. The focus at this stage is on guaranteeing the astronauts physical exercise to prepare for a safe landing and return.
When it does leave space, the return capsule will land in the Gobi Desert, close to where it lifted off.
China is planning two crewed missions. The completed, three-module space station will be able to host both of the three-astronaut crews for a short time and complete a first crew handover late in the year if China adds two more modules this year.
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