After a six-month long space station station, the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft has returned to Earth with three astronauts, Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu, and the spacecraft and crew safely returned to the Dongfeng landing site of jiuquan satellite launch center on the morning of April 16.
Shenzhou 13 spacecraft was launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on October 16, 2021, sending astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu into the Tianhe core module, after which the three astronauts completed two out-of-the-cabin activities, two "Tiangong Classroom" space teaching activities, and carried out a number of scientific and technological experiments and application projects, staying in orbit for up to 183 days, setting a new record for the continuous flight time of Chinese astronauts in orbit.
The return operation began at 22:18 on April 15, Zhai Zhigang closed the two-way pressure valve of the Tianhe core module and the Shenzhou 13 spacecraft, the three astronauts entered the spacecraft and changed into the cabin pressure suits, fully prepared for return, at 0:05 on the 16th, the spacecraft returned to the hatch door closed, at 0:44, the spacecraft and the space station core module were successfully separated.
After that, the spacecraft began to change orbit, decelerate and attitude control operations, and entered the atmosphere after circling the earth for 5 circles, after which the spacecraft's deceleration parachute and landing device were automatically executed in turn, and accurately landed at the Dongfeng landing field at more than 9 o'clock in the morning of the 16th.
Moreover, the spacecraft landed vertically at the time of landing, which was the first vertical landing in the seven manned spacecraft landings on the mainland in the past 17 years since the vertical landing of Shenzhou VI on October 17, 2005, which also shows that its landing position at the time of landing is very accurate, and there is no wind or very little wind at the scene.
Interestingly, after the Shenzhou THIRTEEN spaceship "landed properly", there was actually a camel in the camera, maybe the camel was originally near the landing point, was leisurely eating tender grass, suddenly saw a giant landing in the sky, so very curious, went up to observe, did not want the helicopter of the air search and rescue team to come, multiple helicopters hovered near the spaceship, the huge roar of the propeller was deafening, the smoke on the ground was stirred, the camel also had no intention of looking at the liveliness, and ran away to the side. After a while, two more camels passed in front of the camera one after the other.
Camel, harmonic "fall properly"! Netizens all think that this is the meaning of auspiciousness, it is the camels to celebrate the "fall", and the voluntary appearance does not even need the appearance fee!
These three camels are unique wild camels in the northwest of the continent, they are the only bactrian camels in the world, adult body length in 3.2 to 3.5 meters, shoulder height of 1.6 to 1.8 meters, weight of 450 to 680 kilograms, generally more than 1,000 pounds, it is a large mammal that can tolerate extreme environments, very hardy, thirst-resistant and hungry, before from the Ubiquitous in Eurasia, but due to the hunting of humans and some carnivores, the number of wild two heads is getting smaller and smaller, It now exists only in the northwestern part of the continent and the western part of Mongolia, and is a protected animal at the national level.
The appearance of the camels also shows that the natural ecological condition of the Dongfeng landing field is good, in fact, there were ten camels when the Shenzhou XII manned spacecraft landed and returned, and they walked unhurriedly in front of the convoy, and the convoy took a detour to return in order not to disturb them.
Resources:
"CCTV News" April 16 article "Shenzhou 13 spacecraft group return to Earth special report"