4th June 2023 – (Beijing) China’s successful space program has taken another impressive step forward as the Shenzhou-15 manned spaceship has separated from the country’s space station combination, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The three astronauts, Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming, and Zhang Lu, who have been living and working in the space station complex for 186 days, were on board the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft.
The successful separation of the spacecraft marks the end of the 186-day mission for the three astronauts. Prior to the separation, the astronauts undertook various tasks with support from sci-tech personnel on the ground, including completing in-orbit rotation with the Shenzhou-16 crew, setting the status of the space station complex, sorting and downloading experiment data, and clearing and transferring supplies stored in orbit, the CMSA said.
The Shenzhou-15 spaceship will now re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at an appropriate time with the support of ground control. This marks another significant achievement for China’s space program, which has continued to go from strength to strength in recent years.
The three Shenzhou-15 astronauts were sent to the space station on 29th November, 2022. They have completed multiple tasks over the past few months, including performing four extravehicular activities, giving two online science lectures, and conducting a number of sci-tech experiments. Their successful mission highlights China’s growing capabilities in space exploration, and demonstrates the country’s commitment to advancing scientific research and technology.
