After six months floating aboard China's space station, the Shenzhou-19 astronauts are gearing up for their homecoming. On April 29, a sleek return capsule carrying Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze will carve through the atmosphere and touch down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
To nail the landing, ground teams put the site through its paces this Friday with a full-scale drill. Nearly 100 vehicles fanned out across the steppe for search and rescue support. After receiving landing data from the Beijing Aerospace Control Center, five helicopters executed precision descents near the target zone. By mid-afternoon, teams simulated opening the capsule hatch and guiding the crew through exit, acclimatization and transfer—all within a 50-minute window.
Standing by is a dedicated squad of engineers, medics and recovery crews, each ready to blitz through their checklist the moment the capsule lands. Their mission: ensure the astronauts step out safely and begin their journey back to Beijing for post-flight checks.
The countdown began last week when a Long March-2F rocket lifted the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft into orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. After docking with the station, the new crew joined the Shenzhou-19 team for a historic five-day handover, marking the sixth in-orbit crew exchange in China's space history.
As the clock ticks toward touchdown, the world watches a mastery of precision, teamwork and human endurance in space exploration, a reminder that every step closer to the stars starts with a focused descent back to Earth.
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Shenzhou-19 crew set to return as Dongfeng landing site stands ready
cgtn.com
