The three astronauts from China’s Shenzhou-14 crew met with the press on Friday, for the first time since returning to Earth in December.
The Shenzhou-14 astronauts have completed their quarantine and recovery stages and are now in the observation stage according to a press conference held at The Astronaut Center of China in Beijing.
The three astronauts from China’s Shenzhou-14 crew met with the press on Friday, for the first time since returning to Earth in December.
The Shenzhou-14 astronauts are in good physical and mental health right now. Their weights have returned to pre-mission levels, and they have further restored their muscle strength, endurance, and cardio functions.
Following the completion of health assessments, they will resume their regular training. The Shenzhou-14 spaceship, which launched on June 5, 2022, delivered Chen Dong, Liu Yang, and Cai Xuzhe to China’s space station core module Tianhe.
During their six-month mission, they completed a variety of tasks, including three extravehicular activities, a live online science lecture, and collaborating with ground control to complete the assembly and construction of the space station’s T-shape structure.
The mission commander, Chen Dong, became the first Chinese astronaut to spend more than 200 days in space. He stated that timely and effective ground support was critical to the team’s ability to complete the mission successfully.
China’s first female astronaut is Liu Yang. She expressed her delight at witnessing China’s enormous progress in aerospace science and technology since her first trip into space ten years ago. She also expressed her gratitude for witnessing the formation of the space station‘s basic configuration.
She reflected on her 183 days in space, saying she would never forget the beauty of the universe, meeting the Shenzhou-15 crew aboard the space station, the cards her husband wrote her, or the songs her children sang for her on her birthday.
“I am proud of my country,” said Cai Xuzhe, whose 12-year dream of space travel became a reality after 12 years of training and waiting. “All I have to do now is summarise my mission experience and enter follow-up training in peak condition. I’m excited to get back into space.”