Three Chinese astronauts came back to the earth early Monday morning after staying for six months at the Tiangong space station where they performed various experiments. It was a historic point in China’s current space program when the Shenzhou-18 mission was successfully launched.

Highlights:

• Three astronauts landed safely after six months in space
• Crew completed dozens of scientific experiments
• Mission commander Ye Guangfu set a new space duration record
• The astronauts grew vegetables for fresh food in space
• The new crew arrived on October 30 to take over station duties

Early Monday, three Chinese astronauts from the Shenzhou-18 mission landed in Inner Mongolia after completing a successful six-month stay on the Tiangong space station. The astronauts, Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu, landed at 1:24 a.m. local time and came from the capsule in good health.

The crew completed different scientific experiments during their mission. They included research in microgravity, materials science, space life science, and space medicine. They also grew cherry tomatoes and lettuce on board and tested harvesting fresh lettuce for their meals. This was one of the highlights of their work. According to astronaut Li Guangsu, eating fresh vegetables in space added a nice touch of green to their everyday food.

The sixth crew member, mission commander Ye Guangfu, who became known for the Shenzhou-13 mission, stayed in space for the longest time which is more than a year. This accomplishment is in tune with China’s strategic aim of setting firm foot in the space discovery venture.

The Shenzhou-18 crew handed over control of the station to a new team, including a female astronaut, who arrived on October 30. China changes its space station crew every six months to maintain ongoing research and maintenance activities.

The Tiangong space station, built by China after it was excluded from the International Space Station program, is a significant step forward in China’s space goals. China has also retrieved lunar rock samples in recent years and landed a rover on Mars. Looking ahead, China aims to expand its space program further, including plans to send humans to the moon by 2030 and explore potentially habitable planets by 2050.