The Shenzhou-18's return capsule, carrying three Chinese astronauts, returned to Earth early Monday morning after a six-month space station mission.
The return capsule, carrying astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 01:24 (Beijing Time) on Monday, and the crew had all exited the capsule by 02:15, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
After spending 192 days in orbit, the three astronauts returned in good health, and the Shenzhou-18 manned mission was a success, the CMSA said.
"This search and rescue mission went particularly smoothly. This is also the second time our landing site has carried out the recovery mission of the return capsule under dark and low-temperature conditions," said Xu Peng, leader of the ground command team for the Shenzhou-18 search and rescue mission.
Shenzhou-18 commander Ye Guangfu, who now holds the record for the longest stay in orbit among Chinese astronauts, was the first of the three crew members to emerge from the return capsule.
"I am proud of my motherland. I am grateful to the great motherland, the people of China, and the entire project team for making our dream of spaceflight a reality and ensuring our safe return. Our Shenzhou spacecraft family has continued the relay of space exploration, and I believe that a new record for time spent in orbit by Chinese astronauts will soon be set," Ye said.
"During this trip to realize our space dream, our crew members united as one and collaborated effectively with the ground teams. The two extravehicular activities were completed smoothly, as were the in-orbit scientific research experiments," said Li Cong, the second astronaut to emerge from the return capsule.
"Returning to Earth from space is a mixture of excitement and joy at being back home, along with a sense of attachment to space. The greatest feeling at this moment is that I am so proud of our great motherland," said Li Guangsu, the third astronaut.
The Shenzhou-18 crew arrived in Beijing by plane on Monday after a six-month space station mission.
They will now enter a period of medical quarantine and undergo comprehensive health evaluations, the CMSA said, adding that they will meet with the press in Beijing afterward.
"The three astronauts completed their entire process of readapting to gravity smoothly. Following our evaluation and initial medical examinations, their physical health is good. This shows that their intensive training for the mission has produced very good results," said Xu Chong, an official at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center.
The Shenzhou-18 crew was launched into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on April 25. Before their return, they handed over the space station to the Shenzhou-19 astronauts, who boarded on Oct. 30.
On May 28, the crew completed their first spacewalk. During the 8.5-hour extravehicular activity (EVA), astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu successfully installed protective devices against space debris, among other tasks.
On July 3, the Shenzhou-18 astronauts completed their second spacewalk, which lasted about 6.5 hours.
The crew also conducted a series of scientific experiments, advancing research in space material science, space life science, and space medicine.
Shenzhou-18 crew in good health after returning safely to Earth
As the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) approaches, major exhibitors in the healthcare and skincare sectors have expressed excitement about showcasing their innovative products, fostering collaborations and expanding their reach in the Chinese market.
Themed "New Era, Shared Future," the 7th CIIE is scheduled for November 5-10 in Shanghai, featuring participation from 152 countries, regions and international organizations, including 77 countries and international organizations for national exhibitions and nearly 3,500 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions for business exhibitions.
Many multinationals view the expo as a prime opportunity to display their latest products and seek new collaborations.
Guan Hong, a representative for the Chinese branch of the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis, reflected on the company's successful participation in previous CIIEs and expressed optimism about introducing innovative products to the Chinese market for the benefit of patients.
"Novartis has attended all the CIIE in the past 7 years. We've really witnessed the medicines [going] from the exhibition finally to the public. In the 2021 CIIE, we got a cooperation agreement with Hainan Bo'ao, and then we piloted the study before we got approval. Last year, we got a fast approval by NMPA (National Medical Products Administration), and now it's already benefited more than 10,000 patients in China. We really want to bring the fast-approach products and innovative products to China as soon as possible to benefit as many patients as possible," said Guan, referring to the annual Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) held in the resort town of Boao, southern China's Hainan Province and the China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), the country's top drug regulator.
Jean-Christophe Pointeau, global senior vice president of Pfizer, a U.S.-based pharmaceutical company, expressed optimism about signing memorandums of understanding (MoUs) at this year's edition, citing a favorable regulatory environment for foreign investment in China's biopharmaceutical sector.
"A lot of trade will happen within the ecosystem of healthcare, but also memorandums of understanding. You know that Pfizer, we have a series of MoUs we are going to sign. And recently, from the Third Plenum, we saw that the policies on high-quality development for innovation of the biopharmaceutical sector is one of them, but also policies to ease the foreign investment. So, this environment is extremely positive and extremely encouraging for the multinationals. And that's why Pfizer and other multinationals are extremely confident," Pointeau said, referring to the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held this July, which put great emphasis on high-quality development, technological innovation and industrial upgrading.
Japanese cosmetics giant Shiseido has a history of embracing trends in technology, from using humanoid robots in their manufacturing process to developing an augmented reality app to help give users skincare tips. Toshinobu Umetsu, president and CEO of Shiseido China, said the company plans to emphasize its innovations incorporating its products with autonomous driving at this year's CIIE.
"For this year's CIIE, we looked at the 'mobility space' with autonomous driving, which is often seen as an iconic advanced innovation around the world. We invite visitors to discover more about the cornerstone on which Shiseido's innovations are built. So, [we have] globally-leading standards in product safety and quality management," he said.
As the world's first national-level import-themed expo, the CIIE is held annually at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai.
Since its first edition in 2018, this expo has become an important stage spotlighting China's new development paradigm, a platform for high-level opening-up and a public good for the whole world.
Global firms gear up for 7th CIIE with innovative exhibits
