Beijing. After six months aboard the Chinese space station “Tiangong” (Heaven’s Palace), three astronauts have returned to Earth. Their space capsule landed on a large red-and-white parachute early Sunday morning at the Dongfeng landing area in Inner Mongolia, northeast of the Jiuquan spaceport in the Gobi desert.

“We feel good,” said 58-year-old commander Feng Junlong after rescue workers carried him out of the capsule. The three astronauts had worked in space for 186 days. Ground control reported that everyone was in good health. “I am very happy to see my family again,” said astronaut Deng Qingming (57). His colleague Zhang Lu, 46, thanked all the space program staff who accompanied their flight.

After a new crew of three flew to the space station with the spaceship “Shenzhou 16” (Magic Ship) on Tuesday, the crew could be replaced. It was the first crew change since the Chinese space outpost became fully operational earlier this year.

Successors are to remain in space for five months

Nine hours before landing, their spacecraft “Shenzhou 15” had undocked from the “Celestial Palace”. The Chinese state television also broadcast live images from the capsule, which is only 2.3 meters wide in diameter, before the critical re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere, in which astronauts looked relaxed.

Your colleagues will now stay in space for five months. Among them is a civilian for the first time, scientist Gui Haichao from Beijing Aerospace University. The 36-year-old is supposed to take care of experiments. All other Chinese astronauts have so far come from the military. Another newcomer to space is 36-year-old flight engineer Zhu Yangzhu.

The commander is 56-year-old space veteran Jing Haipeng. With his fourth space flight, the major general has booked more missions than any other Chinese astronaut.

RND/dpa