Upon landing, personnel from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center-the homeport for all of China's manned spaceflights-conducted immediate safety checks on the capsule's exterior. The recovery team then opened the hatch to conduct preliminary health evaluations on the astronauts. After these initial checks, the astronauts were carefully assisted out of the capsule and transported to medical support vehicles for further examination.
The crew will subsequently be flown to Beijing, where they will enter a standard period of quarantine and rehabilitation, helping them to adjust after months in microgravity. Such recovery programs have become standard for Chinese astronauts returning from extended missions, allowing time for physical reconditioning and health monitoring.
The Shenzhou 18 spacecraft undocked from Tiangong at 4:12 pm on Sunday, officially marking the end of the mission. Before departure, Ye's team carried out a detailed handover with the incoming Shenzhou 19 crew, led by Senior Colonel Cai Xuzhe. This newly arrived team, which includes China's only female spaceflight engineer, will now manage the Tiangong station for the next six months. During the handover, the departing crew transmitted scientific experimental data back to Earth, sorted and transferred materials between the station and their spacecraft, and passed on essential operational tasks.
Throughout their mission, Ye, Li, and Li contributed significantly to China's ongoing space endeavors. As the seventh crew to inhabit the Tiangong station, they took over operations from the Shenzhou 17 mission team in late April. During their stay, they performed two spacewalks to install and fine-tune exterior equipment on Tiangong, supported a range of scientific and technological experiments, and facilitated critical station maintenance.
This mission was a second spaceflight for Ye Guangfu, who now holds the record for the longest cumulative time spent in space by a Chinese astronaut, with a total of 374 days across his two missions. Previously, Tang Hongbo held the record with 279 days, accumulated from the Shenzhou 12 and Shenzhou 17 missions. For Li Cong and Li Guangsu, Shenzhou 18 marked their first space mission, making the journey particularly significant for the two astronauts.
China's ambitious space program, unfolding under President Xi Jinping's administration, has prioritized the Tiangong space station as a critical asset. The station, which launched its core module in 2021, has served as a hub for ongoing scientific research and technological testing, advancing China's long-term space goals. It is expected to remain operational for approximately a decade, with rotating crews to ensure continuity in research and maintenance tasks.
Looking forward, China aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030, with plans to eventually establish a lunar base. This vision underscores the nation's growing commitment to space exploration and technological advancement, key components of its broader "space dream."
Related Links
China Manned Space Agency
The Chinese Space Program - News, Policy and Technology
China News from SinoDaily.com
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