China’s Shenzhou 15 capsule safely returns, bringing back three astronauts

The highly skilled astronauts, namely Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming, and Zhang Lu, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in their Shenzhou 15 spacecraft return capsule at precisely 6:33 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 3 (2233 GMT), equivalent to 6:33 a.m. on June 4 in Beijing Time, as reported by the China Manned Space Agency.

This mission held special significance for Fei Junlong, as it marked his long-awaited first-ever flight after an arduous 25 years of intensive training. The successful return of the Shenzhou 15 crew adds another remarkable achievement to China's growing expertise in manned space exploration.

The journey began on November 29 when the Shenzhou 15 crew embarked on their space odyssey from the Jiuquan launch site in northwest China. Notably, they played a pivotal role in the historic inaugural crew handover on China's state-of-the-art Tiangong space station.

The safe return of the Shenzhou 15 capsule and its esteemed astronauts signifies China's increasing prowess in space exploration and their commitment to advancing their presence in the realm of manned space missions. (ILKHA)