JIUQUAN, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The three astronauts of China's Shenzhou-20 mission landed safely on Earth aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft on Friday, marking the first successful implementation of an alternative return procedure in the country's space station program history.
The alternative plan was adopted after the original return vessel, the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, experienced a suspected impact from space debris. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) confirmed the return mission was a complete success.
By 5:21 p.m. (Beijing Time), the Shenzhou-20 crew, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, had all left the Shenzhou-21 return capsule. They had spent 204 days in orbit and are all in good health, the CMSA said.
The Shenzhou-20 crew set a new record for the longest in-orbit stay among Chinese astronaut crews, and Commander Chen Dong has become the first Chinese astronaut to accumulate over 400 days in orbit.
Chen Dong has completed six extravehicular tasks, making him the Chinese astronaut with the most extravehicular tasks to date.
"This mission was a true test and we are proud to have completed it successfully. China's space program has withstood the test, with all teams delivering outstanding performances... This experience has left us a profound impression that astronauts' safety is really prioritized," said the mission commander, sitting in a chair in front of the capsule.
Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, on their first flight mission, have completed all assigned tasks.
"With our crew working as one and seamlessly aligned with ground teams, we have successfully completed every task and fulfilled the mission," said Chen Zhongrui. "I feel profoundly happy."
"After six months in space, it's good to be back on Earth and feel gravity again. This mission was not only a success, but also a challenging and arduous journey of personal growth," said Wang. "I will continue to dedicate myself to space exploration."
The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, originally scheduled to return the three astronauts to Earth on Nov. 5, does not meet the requirements for their safe return and will remain in orbit to continue relevant experiments, the CMSA said.
Tiny cracks have been found in the Shenzhou-20 return capsule's viewport window, which are most probably caused by external impact from space debris, the CMSA added.
At 11:14 a.m., the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship undocked from the space station combination. At 2:49 p.m., the Beijing Aerospace Control Center issued a return command through the ground station, and the orbital capsule of the Shenzhou-21 spaceship separated from the return capsule.
Then the braking engine ignited, and the Shenzhou-21 return capsule separated from the propulsion capsule. The return capsule touched down at 4:40 p.m. at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the CMSA said.