China’s Shenzhou 16 Astronauts Return Safely Despite Parachute Damage During Landing

Astronauts Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu, and Gui Haichao successfully touched down at the Dongfeng landing site after spending five months at the Tiangong space station, even though a notable hole formed in the spacecraft's parachute during reentry.

• The Shenzhou 16 astronauts, Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu, and Gui Haichao, have successfully returned to Earth after spending five months aboard the Tiangong space station. Their return was complicated by a significant hole appearing in the parachute of the re-entry capsule, an event unreported in previous missions.
• Despite the damage, the spacecraft touched down safely at the Dongfeng landing site in the Gobi Desert, Mongolian at 8:11 p.m. EDT on Oct. 30, although the capsule tumbled a few times due to the impact.
• Independent space experts suggest that the hole in the parachute could be due to vented propellant burn or a manufacturing defect. Parachute failures have been fatal in the past, making this a significant incident in the history of crewed space missions.
• Spacecraft from Shenzhou missions carry a backup parachute which is deployed automatically if the re-entry capsule descends too quickly, providing a secondary safety measure.
• The astronauts successfully performed a range of scientific experiments and conducted an eight-hour spacewalk during their time aboard the Tiangong station. Once safely on Earth, their health conditions were confirmed to be sound upon an initial medical check.

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