Three Chinese astronauts have landed in a northern desert after six months working to complete construction of the Tiangong station, a symbol of the country’s ambitious space program.
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, astronaut Chen Dong waves as he sits outside the re-entry capsule of the Shenzhou-14 manned space mission after it lands successfully at the Dongfeng landing site in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022. Three Chinese astronauts landed in a northern desert on Sunday after six months working to complete construction of the Tiangong station, a symbol of the country's ambitious space program, state TV reported.
“I am very fortunate to have witnessed the completion of the basic structure of the Chinese space station after six busy and fulfilling months in space," said Chen, who was the first to exit the capsule. “Like meteors, we returned to the embrace of the motherland."The three astronauts were part of the Shenzhou-14 mission, which launched in June.
With a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, Tiangong could one day be the only space station still up and running if the International Space Station retires by around the end of the decade as expected. China has also chalked up uncrewed mission successes: Its Yutu 2 rover was the first to explore the little-known far side of the moon. Its Chang’e 5 probe also returned lunar rocks to Earth in December 2020 for the first time since the 1970s, and another Chinese rover is searching for evidence of life on Mars.
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