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China's Shenzhou-20 astronauts safely return to Earth, setting new record

Global Times

By Li Yawei Published: Nov 14, 2025 09:24 PM

The return capsule of the Shenzhou-21 spaceship, carrying the Shenzhou-20 taikonauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 4:40 pm on Friday, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said, adding that the three taikonauts are in good health.

By 5:21 pm Beijing time on Friday, the three crew members had all left the Shenzhou-21 return capsule, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Having completed a 204-day in-orbit stay, they have set a new record for the longest in-orbit stay among Chinese astronaut crews, said the CMSA.

During the in-orbit period, they carried out four extravehicular activities (EVAs) and multiple cargo transfer missions. Under close coordination with ground-based researchers, a wide range of space science experiments in fields such as microgravity fundamental physics, space materials science, space life sciences, aerospace medicine, and aerospace technology were completed, according to the CMSA.

Chen Dong, commander of the three-member Shenzhou-20 crew, was the first to leave the Shenzhou-21 return capsule after it touched down on Earth, Xinhua reported. He has become the first Chinese astronaut to accumulate over 400 days in orbit, the report said.

Chen said that returning home aboard the Shenzhou-21 felt "reassuring," China Central Television (CCTV) News reported. "This mission was both a training exercise and a test. We are proud to have completed the mission successfully, and China's space program has passed the test," he said.

Earlier on Friday, the CMSA had announced that the Shenzhou-20 crew was scheduled to return to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft.

Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Friday that this marks the first time since China launched its manned space program that a crew has returned to Earth using another crew's spaceship.

China has established various rescue and emergency response plans for manned space missions since its first launch, with more comprehensive and rigorous plans during the space station phase, said Wang. Switching the spaceship on this occasion is a practical application of the emergency response plans, demonstrating the thoroughness of the preparations, he said.

The return of China's Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship, originally scheduled for November 5, was postponed due to a suspected impact from tiny space debris, per Xinhua.

In the preliminary phase, based on imaging analysis, design review, simulation analysis, and wind tunnel tests, a comprehensive assessment has identified microcracks in the porthole glass of the Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship's return capsule, the CMSA said.

This is most likely caused by the external impact of space debris, rendering the Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship non-compliant with the release criteria for manned safe return, the CMSA added.

Wang said that the porthole glass, a component inlaid in metal, cannot be tested for deep-seated physical damage at the space station once damaged, and consequently poses higher risks when under pressure.

Utilizing the in-orbit and fully functional Shenzhou-21 spaceship enables the rapid initiation of the return procedure, minimizing inconvenience for the crew, Wang added.

The Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship will remain in orbit to continue conducting relevant experiments, according to the CMSA.

The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft will be launched at an appropriate time in the future, according to the CMSA. With the Shenzhou-21 spaceship having been deployed to bring the crew back, the Shenzhou-22 spaceship has time to complete its preparations, ensuring more secure and efficient operation, the expert said.