By 
June 3rd, 2023
New Shenzhou-16 crew onboard with Shenzhou-15 astronauts during handover ceremonies.
Image credit: CCTV/CNSA/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China’s Shenzhou-15 crew is homeward bound, headed for a return to Earth later today.
Trained teams are at the Dongfeng Landing Site in north China, ready to handle the fiery reentry, atmospheric plunge and parachute recovery of the taikonaut trio: Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu.
This threesome entered China’s Tiangong space station on Nov. 30 last year for a six-month stay, as the fourth crew to operate the space station.
Shenzhou-15 undocks from space station. Image via China ‘N Asia Spaceflight
Complex topography
Located in the Gobi Desert in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the Dongfeng Landing Site covers 13,000 square meters of depopulated zone with complex topography notes China Central Television (CCTV).
Late last week, more than 10 search and rescue groups, five helicopters, and nearly 100 vehicles with different functions headed for their positions in the early hours of Thursday for the final all-element drills.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Training and drills
“The results of this time’s joint drills were good. All the detachments followed orders from the command center in the entire process including takeoff, target searching and landing. Generally speaking, we have laid a solid foundation for the official retrieving mission with the previous training and drills,” said Chai Hua, aircraft commander of the commander plane of air forces in the mission of searching and receiving Shenzhou-15 crew.
“After all five comprehensive drills and more than 10 single-subject drills, we have made complete contingency plans for 29 kinds of injuries and emergencies. We are ready to welcome the astronauts back and ensure their safety,” said Gu Jianwen, team leader of Shenzhou medical rescue team.
Depiction of Shenzhou-16 spacecraft approaching docking port.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
New crew, supply craft re-docking
Meanwhile, onboard China’s Tiangong station, the newly arrived Shenzhou-16 crew — Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao – settled into their off-world setting. They are to perform scientific, maintenance and spacewalk duties during their 5-month space stint.
The Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft, launched and once docked with the orbital outpost, was undocked in early May to leave its port for its successor, the now docked Tianzhou-6 supply craft.
Image credit: Shujianyang Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
Currently, the older Tianzhou-5 vehicle is flying alongside the station and will re-dock with the facility after the landing of the Shenzhou-15 crew.
Tianzhou-5 can provide propellants, solar power and waste storage for the station in the coming months.
At present, the three-module and three-ship configuration will remain in place for nearly half a year until the liftoff of the Shenzhou-17 piloted mission. Looking ahead, the plan is to expand Tiangong with additional modules, according to CCTV.
For video of Shenzhou-15 landing preparations, go to:
Live coverage via China Global Television Network (CGTN) at:
Posted in Space News
