China's Shenzhou-17 spacecraft, carrying three astronauts, is set to return to Earth on Tuesday after nearly six months in space. The spacecraft's successful journey culminates with a carefully coordinated landing rehearsal held last Friday at the Dongfeng landing site in the Gobi Desert, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Over 10 search and rescue teams participated in the final drill, utilizing helicopters and dozens of response vehicles to simulate the landing scenario. The teams meticulously tested all systems to ensure a safe and precise return.
Wang Yifan, a member of the air detachment team, highlighted the effectiveness of the drills, stating, \"From the recent drills and exercises we have participated in, the technical and tactical level of our personnel has been tempered and improved; equipment performance has been effectively tested; cooperation between the five helicopters is becoming more and more tacit; and the location of the landing point is becoming more and more accurate.\"
The Astronaut Center of China played a significant role in the rehearsal. Xu Chong from the search and rescue teams emphasized the importance of medical monitoring and support, saying, \"For us, this whole system drill is mainly about medical monitoring and support for the crew members inside and outside the re-entry capsule, and inside the vehicles prepared for them. We have achieved our targeted goals after this drill with all working systems.\"
Adjustments were also made to the ground detachment team's operations to account for the sandy and dusty conditions typical of the Gobi Desert in April. With all systems in place, the Shenzhou-17 crew is now ready for their imminent return, marking the end of an ambitious and successful mission.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com