The Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is gearing up to welcome the Shenzhou-19 astronauts back to Earth after their six-month mission aboard China’s space station.
On Friday, in a final comprehensive drill, nearly 100 vehicles and multiple ground teams were deployed to ensure search and rescue readiness. Around 10 a.m., the vehicles were positioned to support ground operations. By 2:30 p.m., after receiving landing data from the Beijing Aerospace Control Center, five helicopters executed precision landings near the target area, following the planned procedures meticulously.
The return capsule of the Shenzhou-19 manned spacecraft, carrying astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze, is scheduled to touch down on April 29. At 2:45 p.m. during the drill, the ground team simulated the opening of the capsule hatch and safely extracted the astronauts, ensuring all safety protocols were in place for their exit, acclimatization, and transfer.
The entire return and landing process is expected to take about 50 minutes. With all personnel and equipment now on standby, the Dongfeng site stands ready for the mission.
In related events, on Thursday, a Long March-2F rocket launched the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. After successfully docking with the space station, the Shenzhou-20 crew joined the Shenzhou-19 astronauts, marking the sixth in-orbit crew handover in China’s space exploration history.
The six astronauts from both crews will live and work together for approximately five days, completing scheduled tasks and transferring responsibilities before the Shenzhou-19 crew returns home.
