When the crew members of China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceship returned to Earth on Saturday, landing at the Dongfeng site in north China, they were assisted by quick responding personnel on the ground.

For the first time in China a fast return strategy was put in place, allowing the spacecraft to travel back to Earth in a matter of hours. 

"The control over the return is very complicated and needs very close coordination among many systems and units on Earth and between them and the capsule," said Bian Hancheng, deputy chief designer of the landing site system of China's manned space program. "A tiny error will result in a wide divergence."

To ensure support arrived as soon as the capsule landed, the ground team needed to respond rapidly, he added.

Niu Yongjin, commander of the Shenzhou-13 ground team, explained the procedure to CGTN ahead of the landing: "A team in helicopters, which are faster, will first set out to search for the module."

"Then the ground team will arrive, following the prediction of the landing point. Both of these teams will complement each other. If the landing point is not safe enough for the helicopters to land, the ground team will arrive shortly after, and help the taikonauts leave the craft."

"These taikonauts are returning after six months in orbit," noted Bian. "Long exposure outside after landing would harm their health. It's especially important for them to re-adapt to gravity in the first few hours back on Earth."

"If this is done properly, it will help them quickly recover. Otherwise, the recovery will take a long time."

Each taikonaut's descent from the capsule was designed to be completed within two minutes, after which they were to be sent to a medical monitoring and support facility.

This was the first time China was welcoming back taikonauts who had spent six months in space, so a comprehensive plan was made.

Wu Yuanliang, head of the technical group of the landing site test team, explained: "In general, our first choice is medical vehicles, with tents as alternatives, and the helicopters as backups. There is more space in cars and tents. And in terms of temperature control, the vehicles will be equipped with air conditioners and so on. The environment there is more comfortable, and we are better able to make taikonauts feel at ease."

In all, 11 teams, nearly 100 vehicles, five helicopters, a fast fixed-wing aircraft, and civilian teams were on hand in the area surrounding the landing site on Saturday to assist with the retrieval of the Shenzhou-13 crew.

New equipment was also introduced, including a number of vehicles to facilitate the search and location of the capsule upon re-entry.

"We've made a lot of technical upgrades since the return mission of Shenzhou-12," said Bian. "We invented 18 pieces of new equipment. We also optimized the interior layout of the commanding helicopter and greatly improved its efficiency in search and command in the air. We're also using the most state-of-the-art off-road vehicles in command and dispatch, search and engineering transportation."

"We organized a series of training exercises, like helicopter rescue, three air-ground coordination drills, and three drills involving all working units," added Bian.

"We are fully prepared for the search and rescue. And we are confident that we can fulfill our tasks and welcome our heroes home."

Mission accomplished as the three taikonauts received a swift, safe, and warm welcome on Saturday.

Read more: Welcome home! China's Shenzhou-13 taikonauts return after six months in orbit