Shenzhou-21 Astronaut Zhang Hongzhang Exits Return Capsule | China Space Station
Chinese astronaut Zhang Hongzhang, one of the three crew members of the Shenzhou-21 Mission, has left the return capsule that landed back on Earth on Friday, May 29, 2026.
Zhang was the third and final crew member to emerge after the Shenzhou-22 return capsule touched down at the Dongfeng Landing Site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 20:11 Beijing Time (1211 GMT), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
"From the ground laboratory to China's space station, it is our great motherland that has enabled me to achieve a perfect integration of my scientific ideals and spaceflight dreams. With the support of the entire project team, the assistance of researchers and scientists, and the care of so many people, our crew has worked as one and successfully completed all planned scientific projects, including the first successful in-orbit breeding of small mammals, the growing of a thriving space vegetable garden with richer varieties, and the collection of valuable data from projects such as in-situ electrochemical and optical studies on lithium-ion batteries," Zhang said in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) shortly after coming out the capsule.
"Looking at Earth from space, I deeply felt that humanity is an indivisible community with a shared future. Now that I am back on Earth and have returned to my motherland, I feel an immense sense of security and warmth. Going forward, I will continue to build on these achievements and contribute to making China a strong power in space, science and technology," he said.
Prior to the return, the crew completed all planned tasks and handed over China's Tiangong Space Station to the three Shenzhou-23 astronauts who boarded the space station on Monday.
The crew's planned stay in-orbit was extended by approximately one month to further verify the technologies regarding the long-term stay of astronauts in orbit and fully use the supplies delivered by the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft in an emergency launch.
The Shenzhou-21 crew's original spacecraft that sent them into space on October 31 last year, previously returned to Earth carrying the astronauts of the preceding Shenzhou-20 mission after tiny cracks were found in the viewport window of the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft's return capsule. This spacecraft was later safely brought back to Earth.
Duration: 1 minute, 48 seconds
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