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China's Shenzhou-21 astronauts complete handover, ready for returning to Earth

China’s orbiting outpost sees smooth crew transition ahead of return to Earth

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A Long March-2F carrier rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft and a crew of three astronauts, lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi desert, in northwest China on October 31, 2025.
A Long March-2F carrier rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft and a crew of three astronauts, lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi desert, in northwest China on October 31, 2025.
AFP

JIUQUAN: China's Shenzhou-21 and Shenzhou-23 astronaut crews held a handover ceremony on Thursday, during which the Shenzhou-21 crew transferred the keys of the country's space station to the latter.

The Shenzhou-21 crew has now completed all planned tasks.

The three astronauts will take the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft and return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the coming few days, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

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