The return capsule of China's Shenzhou-21 spaceship, carrying the Shenzhou-20 crew, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 4:40 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Friday, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

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At 2:49 p.m., the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center issued the return command via ground tracking stations, following which the Shenzhou-21 spaceship undocked from the space station combination.

After the braking engine fired up, the return capsule separated from the propulsion module and touched down successfully. Search-and-rescue teams quickly located the return capsule and reached the landing site. Medical staff confirmed that Shenzhou-20 crew members Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie were in good physical condition.

At 5:21 p.m., all three Chinese astronauts, or taikonauts, exited the capsule safely. 

The crew spent 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest stay by a single Chinese crew. 

During the mission, they completed four spacewalks and multiple cargo transfer operations. Working closely with researchers on the ground, they conducted a wide range of scientific experiments spanning microgravity physics, space materials science, life sciences, aerospace medicine and space technology.

After exiting the capsule, Chen Dong, the commander of the mission, said he felt "very grounded" returning home aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft. He said that the road of human space exploration is not smooth but full of difficulties and challenges.

"And that is exactly why we choose to take it. This mission was both a training opportunity and a test. I'm very proud that we successfully completed it and that China's space program has withstood the test," Chen said.

Chen Zhongrui said, "We departed from here on April 24 and flew into space for a six-month mission. With the unity of our crew and the close coordination between space and ground, we completed all our tasks. I feel especially happy and fortunate."

Wang Jie said, "After half a year, returning safely to Earth and feeling gravity again is truly wonderful. This journey to space was not only a dream come true but also a challenging and arduous process of growth. Our success and honor embody the effort and wisdom of all space personnel and reflect the remarkable progress our country has made in space exploration."

After completing the Shenzhou-20 crewed mission, Chen Dong became the first taikonaut whose cumulative time in orbit had exceeded 400 days, and he is also the Chinese astronaut who has carried out the most spacewalks to date. The maiden flights of Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie were also successfully completed.

The return of the Shenzhou-20 crew, originally scheduled for November 5, was postponed after slight cracks were detected on the window of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft's return capsule, believed to be caused by a suspected impact from tiny space debris.

"This is the first time we met this uncertainty... but this is also a very good example, showing that we always take the safety of our taikonauts as the top priority," Yang Yuguang, chairman of the Space Transportation Committee of the International Astronautical Federation, told CGTN in a special program ahead of the Shenzhou-20 crew's landing.

The cracks on the window were discovered during a routine inspection of the spacecraft's condition, said Sui Yanan, associate professor at the School of Aerospace Engineering at Tsinghua University.

"A crack on the window is not a very big thing from a mechanical point of view, but still there are unknown safety risks," Sui said, adding that during the journey back to Earth, the cracks could expand due to high temperature and pressure.

"Even [if] the window broke completely, there [are] ways to guarantee the safety of the taikonauts, but we don't want those things to happen," Sui said.

After careful consideration, China decided to use the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft to bring the crew home.

"We always have a backup spaceship standing in the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. That's a system-level backup to ensure the safety of our taikonauts," Yang added.

A batch of space science experiment samples returned safely aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft. They include nine types of life-science samples, such as laboratory mice, zebrafish, macrophages and hepatocytes. Also on board were various material samples, including tungsten-hafnium alloys, soft magnetic materials, new thermal control coatings and protective components for thin-film solar cells used in space. In addition, three types of combustion experiment samples, burners, soot collection plates and collection caps were brought back.