Astronauts back on Earth, and they're feeling good
By Yang Jian |
June 30, 2012, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
"WE have returned, and we feel good," was the message relayed by China's three astronauts after they touched down on grassland in the north yesterday at the end of a 13-day mission to an orbiting module that is a prototype of a future space station.
The Shenzhou-9 return module, carrying China's first woman in space and two colleagues, came down at around 10am in Siziwang Banner of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
A parachute slowed their descent while a rocket was fired just before landing to position the module so that the hatch was in the right position to allow an easy exit.
Helicopters which had been tracking the capsule since it entered the Earth's atmosphere hovered above the landing area as the capsule approached.
It was just moments after touchdown that ground crew rushed to open the hatch. Medical staff who went inside said all three were in good health.
Premier Wen Jiabao watched the landing from the command center in Beijing and congratulated the crew and welcomed them home.
"This is another outstanding contribution by the Chinese people to human efforts to explore and use space," Wen said.
Mission leader Jing Haipeng was first to leave the capsule, smiling and waving in his white space suit as he was helped out by two ground crew members. Fellow astronauts Liu Wang and Liu Yang followed to loud applause.
"We are proud of the motherland," Liu Yang said to waiting reporters.
Her red lips indicated she had put make-up on for her return. She had been allowed to take some specially made cosmetics into space, but appeared not to have used them during the mission judging by the daily television broadcasts.
The mission marked the first time China had transferred astronauts between two orbiting craft, a milestone in its efforts to acquire the technological and logistical skills to run a space station that can house people for long periods.
The mission also included manual docking maneuvers that marked another major step forward for China's ambition to become the third nation to build a permanent space station by 2020.
The launch, landing and docking exercises with the Tiangong-1 space lab module were broadcast live on China Central Television.
Chang Wanquan, chief commander of China's manned space program, announced in Beijing that the mission had been a "complete success."
Before they were flown to the nation's capital for more physical examinations, the astronauts had lunch at the landing site.
"Their first meal after landing included stewed mutton, porridge, steamed buns, pickles and vegetables and fruit," said Bai Yanqiang, deputy commander of the mission's astronaut system.
They also had special drinks to boost heir energy, Bai said.
Nutritionists had customized the menu for each astronaut after talking with them, he added.
The astronauts successfully completed a manual docking between Shenzhou-9 and Tiangong-1 on Sunday, the first such attempt in the country's history of space exploration.
The spacecraft and space lab had docked automatically on June 18, after the astronauts launched into space on June 16 from northwest China's Gobi desert. They also conducted a series of scientific and medical tests during their 13-day space flight.
The Shenzhou-9 return module, carrying China's first woman in space and two colleagues, came down at around 10am in Siziwang Banner of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
A parachute slowed their descent while a rocket was fired just before landing to position the module so that the hatch was in the right position to allow an easy exit.
Helicopters which had been tracking the capsule since it entered the Earth's atmosphere hovered above the landing area as the capsule approached.
It was just moments after touchdown that ground crew rushed to open the hatch. Medical staff who went inside said all three were in good health.
Premier Wen Jiabao watched the landing from the command center in Beijing and congratulated the crew and welcomed them home.
"This is another outstanding contribution by the Chinese people to human efforts to explore and use space," Wen said.
Mission leader Jing Haipeng was first to leave the capsule, smiling and waving in his white space suit as he was helped out by two ground crew members. Fellow astronauts Liu Wang and Liu Yang followed to loud applause.
"We are proud of the motherland," Liu Yang said to waiting reporters.
Her red lips indicated she had put make-up on for her return. She had been allowed to take some specially made cosmetics into space, but appeared not to have used them during the mission judging by the daily television broadcasts.
The mission marked the first time China had transferred astronauts between two orbiting craft, a milestone in its efforts to acquire the technological and logistical skills to run a space station that can house people for long periods.
The mission also included manual docking maneuvers that marked another major step forward for China's ambition to become the third nation to build a permanent space station by 2020.
The launch, landing and docking exercises with the Tiangong-1 space lab module were broadcast live on China Central Television.
Chang Wanquan, chief commander of China's manned space program, announced in Beijing that the mission had been a "complete success."
Before they were flown to the nation's capital for more physical examinations, the astronauts had lunch at the landing site.
"Their first meal after landing included stewed mutton, porridge, steamed buns, pickles and vegetables and fruit," said Bai Yanqiang, deputy commander of the mission's astronaut system.
They also had special drinks to boost heir energy, Bai said.
Nutritionists had customized the menu for each astronaut after talking with them, he added.
The astronauts successfully completed a manual docking between Shenzhou-9 and Tiangong-1 on Sunday, the first such attempt in the country's history of space exploration.
The spacecraft and space lab had docked automatically on June 18, after the astronauts launched into space on June 16 from northwest China's Gobi desert. They also conducted a series of scientific and medical tests during their 13-day space flight.
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