China Space Mission: A look back at Shenzhou-18 crew's journey

China's Shenzhou-18 astronauts are nearing the conclusion of their six-month mission and are set to return to Earth on Monday.

Shenzhou-18 is the 32nd flight mission of China's manned space program and the third crewed mission during the application and development phase of the country's space station.

The crew will return to the Dongfeng Landing Site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Monday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Here is a look back at some key milestones hit during the mission.

Journey begins

On April 25, China launched the Shenzhou-18 manned spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, sending three taikonauts – Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu – on a six-month mission to the country's space station.

The following day, the three taikonauts aboard Shenzhou-18 met with another taikonauts trio, marking the start of a new round of in-orbit crew handover.

Read more: China launches Shenzhou-18 manned mission, sending three-member crew to space

Two spacewalks

During their mission, the Shenzhou-18 crew completed two spacewalks. The first, on May 28, set a record for the longest single spacewalk by Chinese astronauts, lasting about eight and a half hours. They successfully installed space debris protection devices, assisted by the space station's robotic arm and support from a team on Earth.

Read more: China's Shenzhou-18 crew completes first spacewalk, setting new record

On July 3, the crew conducted their second spacewalk. Ye Guangfu and Li Cong worked for about 6.5 hours to accomplish multiple tasks, while Li Guangsu monitored operations from inside the space station.

With the help of the station's robotic arm and support from researchers on Earth, they installed space debris protection devices for the pipelines, cables and key equipment outside the space station, and conducted an extravehicular inspection. Ye Guangfu and Li Cong returned safely to the Wentian lab module after their spacewalk.

Read more: China's Shenzhou-18 taikonauts complete second spacewalk

During a previous task in May, the crew installed protective devices for the extravehicular cables of the Mengtian lab module. In the July task, they focused on the Wentian lab module and the Tianhe core module's protective devices for the extravehicular cables and pipelines.

"The purpose of this extravehicular activity is to enhance the long-term safety and stability of the space station by installing protective devices on extravehicular equipment, mainly cables and pipelines," Liu Ming, assistant research fellow at the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), told China Media Group.

Advancements in scientific research

Throughout the mission, the crew engaged in a variety of scientific experiments across fields such as basic physics in microgravity, space material science, space life science, space medicine and space technology, utilizing the scientific experiment cabinets and extravehicular payloads.

A notable achievement was the creation of an "aquarium" to raise zebrafish in microgravity, marking China's first in-orbit aquatic ecological research. This experiment involved studying how the space environment affects growth and system balance. It revealed that the zebrafish exhibited abnormal swimming behaviors, such as inverted swimming and circling, under microgravity conditions. It also contributed to understanding material cycling in closed ecological systems in space.

Read more: Check out the first fish tank ecosystem experiment at China Space Station

The crew conducted plant cultivation experiments too, to analyze changes in plant stem cell function and gene expression in a microgravity environment. This will support the development of crops that can adapt to conditions in outer space.

In addition to experiments related to fish and plants, they also performed molecular research on the co-origin of proteins and nucleic acids, as well as investigations into the origins of codons.

In the national space laboratory, they carried out experiments in space material science, microgravity fluid physics and combustion science. The crew completed tasks like replacing the gas burner in the combustion cabinet and exchanging experimental samples in the fluid physics cabinet.

To enhance their operational skills, the astronauts utilized a metacognitive training system for image recognition exercises and operational tests under varying initial conditions. Throughout the mission, they conducted routine medical checks to monitor their health indicators.

Read more: 

China to probe long-term life-supporting system in new space mission

Shenzhou-18 crew conducts scientific experiments in space

Journey home

At the end of October, as the Shenzhou-18 mission neared its conclusion, the crew entered the return preparation phase. They completed tasks such as processing and transmitting experimental data, checking equipment status, and transferring remaining supplies.

By the end of the mission, all planned tasks were successfully completed, and the landing site in Inner Mongolia was prepared to welcome the crew back.

On Sunday at 16:12, the Shenzhou-18 spacecraft separated from the space station. Before their departure, the crew conducted a handover with the Shenzhou-19 crew, which was launched on October 30 for another six-month mission.