Shenzhou-21 Commander Zhang Lu Exits Return Capsule | China Space Station
Chinese astronaut Zhang Lu, commander of the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceflight mission, is shown emerging from the return capsule of the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft that landed back on Earth on May 29, 2026.
Zhang was the first of the three-member Shenzhou-21 crew to exit the capsule after it touched down safely at the Dongfeng Landing Site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 20:11 Beijing Time (12:11 GMT), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Upon landing, Zhang and the two other crew members reported to the Beijing Aerospace Control Center that they were in good condition.
"I'm thrilled to once again return to the embrace of our motherland. The Shenzhou-21 crew's seven-month stay in orbit would not have been possible without the care of our families and comrades, the support of leaders at all levels and all colleagues involved in the project, and above all, the backing of our country and our people. One sentence sums up my thoughts on my second space mission: 'It takes a whole team's devotion to make one person's voyage into the sea of stars,'" Zhang said in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) shortly after he was carried out of the return capsule.
"I also have a gift to share with everyone. On the day of the Shenzhou-21 launch, the ground support team gave us an apple, wishing us a safe and smooth mission. Our safe return is their greatest wish. Tomorrow is May 30, the National Science and Technology Workers' Day. So when we left the space station, we brought back an apple specially. We want to dedicate it to all science and technology workers, and say 'thank you for your hard work'. At the same time, I wish our space industry continued prosperity, and every mission safe and smooth,," 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 May 25.
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.
Shenzhou-21 Crew
Zhang Lu (张陆) - Commander & Pilot - 2nd spaceflight
Wu Fei (武飞) Flight Engineer - 1st spaceflight
Zhang Hong Zhang (张洪章) - Payload Specialist - 1st spaceflight
Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds
Release Date: May 30, 2026
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