According to the China Manned Space Agency on the Chinese mainland, on January 19, 2026 at 9:34 a.m. Beijing time, the Shenzhou-20 return capsule landed safely at the Dongfeng landing site. After cruising in orbit for a marathon 270 days, this orbital odyssey has come to an end. 🚀
On-site inspections revealed the exterior was generally intact, and all downlinked items—from experimental samples to high-resolution imagery—were in excellent shape. 👍
Shenzhou-20 was originally slated to return three astronauts to Earth on November 5, 2025, but a suspected impact from tiny space debris prompted a mission delay while teams assessed potential damage. After a thorough safety review, the capsule's solo journey home resumed this month.
This smooth landing marks another milestone for the Chinese mainland's ambitious space program, paving the way for future long-duration missions and deeper cosmic exploration. 🌌✨
Reference(s):
China's Shenzhou-20 capsule successfully lands after 270 days in orbit
cgtn.com
