Shenzhou XVII astronauts meet press after return from space

The three astronauts from China's Shenzhou XVII crewed mission met press on Friday, their first public appearance since they returned from space two months ago.

All three crew members — Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin — are in good physical and mental health. Their muscle strength, endurance and exercise cardiopulmonary function have basically returned to pre-flight levels.

China launched the Shenzhou XVII manned spaceship on Oct 26, 2023. The trio returned to Earth on April 30 this year after spending a record-breaking 187 days in orbit, surpassing the duration of previous crews.

During the mission, the three astronauts carried out 84 space application experiments and tests in orbit, and produced more than 200 samples covering multiple fields.

The mission marked crew commander Tang Hongbo's second journey to the space station, making him the Chinese astronaut with the longest spaceflight time.

"I am honored to witness and participate in the remarkable advancements of China's manned spaceflights," he said at the press conference held at the Astronaut Center of China in Beijing.

Tang Shengjie, the youngest astronaut to have entered China's space station, celebrated his 34th birthday during his first spaceflight. He said he would undergo follow-up training and strive for an early return to space.

The trio conducted two spacewalks and completed China's first extravehicular maintenance task. Jiang Xinlin recounted the extravehicular activities to the press, noting that the process went smoothly due to comprehensive training beforehand.

According to the center, they will resume regular training after passing all health and wellbeing assessments.