Shenzhou XVI crew return after 'very cool journey'

The Shenzhou XVI crew returned to Earth on Tuesday morning, concluding a historic, five-month mission that also involved China's first civilian astronaut.

The spaceship's reentry capsule, carrying mission commander Major General Jing Haipeng, Colonel Zhu Yangzhu and Professor Gui Haichao, touched down at 8:11 am at the Dongfeng Landing Site in the Gobi Desert in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region after flying nearly 12 hours on its return journey.

Following safety checks outside, the ground recovery team opened the hatch of the bell-shaped capsule and conducted a preliminary examination of the astronauts' health. Sitting inside the capsule, Jing told ground controllers in Beijing via radio that his team had landed safely and was "feeling pretty good".