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China's Shenzhou-21 astronaut crew returns to Earth

By Reuters Reuters
Astronauts Zhang Hongzhang, Wu Fei, and Zhang Lu wave during a see-off ceremony before taking part in the Shenzhou-21 spaceflight mission to China's Tiangong space station, at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China October 31, 2025. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
Astronauts Zhang Hongzhang, Wu Fei, and Zhang Lu wave during a see-off ceremony before taking part in the Shenzhou-21 spaceflight mission to China's Tiangong space station, at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China October 31, 2025. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov Maxim Shemetov Reuters

BEIJING - China's Shenzhou-21 crew of three astronauts returned to Earth on Friday after nearly seven months in space and were in good health, state media reported.

The mission launched on October 31, when the spacecraft lifted off atop a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

(Reporting by Shi Bu, Yukun Zhang and Liz Lee)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 9:07 AM.

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