Return mission for Shenzhou-20 astronauts proceeds smoothly

BEIJING, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Work on the return mission of China's Shenzhou-20 astronaut crew is proceeding in an orderly manner as planned, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Tuesday.

After the return mission was postponed, emergency response plans and measures were immediately activated, and a comprehensive simulation analysis, testing, and safety assessment of the Shenzhou-20 manned spacecraft were conducted to study the return implementation plan for the Shenzhou-20 crew, the CMSA said.

All systems are rigorously conducting joint tests as required, while key product status reviews and quality confirmations are carried out. Concurrently, the landing site is performing comprehensive exercises for the crew's return.

The space station combination is operating normally and has the capacity to support two crews' stay in orbit. The Shenzhou-20 crew works and lives normally onboard and is jointly conducting in-orbit scientific experiments with the Shenzhou-21 crew, the agency said.