BEIJING: China’s Shenzhou-17 crew transferred the keys of the China Space Station (CSS) to the Shenzhou-18 crew at a handover ceremony on Sunday. With all planned tasks completed, the Shenzhou-17 crew will return to Earth on April 30, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
At present, the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and all participating systems are making final preparations to welcome the astronauts back, as the search and rescue teams took part in the final rehearsal on Friday for Shenzhou-17’s return.
The Shenzhou-17 crew members, Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, were launched to the CSS last October, and have remained in orbit for about half a year. On Thursday, China launched the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship, sending three more astronauts, Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, to its space station for another six-month mission. The trio entered the CSS and met with the Shenzhou-17 crew on Friday for an in-orbit crew handover.
The Shenzhou-17 crew have carried out 84 in-orbit experiments and tests for space application, producing more than 200 samples in multiple fields such as space life science and biotechnology, space medicine, and space material science. The crew will deliver the samples for scientific study, potentially leading to significant scientific advancements.
Previously, the cable of the Tianhe core module’s solar panels was hit by space debris, causing a partial loss in power supply. In response, the Shenzhou-17 crew carried out two extravehicular activities, completing China’s first-ever extravehicular repair mission.
Shenzhou 17 is a Chinese spaceflight to the Tiangong space station, launched on 26 October 2023. It carries three People’s Liberation Army Astronaut Corps taikonauts on board a Shenzhou spacecraft.
The mission is the twelfth crewed Chinese spaceflight and the seventeenth flight overall of the Shenzhou program. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
