3 Chinese astronauts return from space

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Three Chinese astronauts returned Sunday after spending six months in space.

The astronauts, locally known as taikonauts, were part of China's Shenzhou-15 mission that landed at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The manned spaceship carrying Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu successfully completed their task, according to the country's space authorities.

China has had its Tiangong Space Station fully operational since late last year.

The trio of taikonauts was succeeded by three Chinese astronauts last week -- Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao -- and are part of the Shenzhou-16 mission.

The new taikonauts are expected to remain at the space station for five months.

The Shenzhou-15 crew arrived in space in November, joining a three-member crew of the Shenzhou-14 manned spacecraft -- increasing the workforce at the in-orbit space station to six for the first time in Chinese space mission history.