China Completes First Retrieval Of Spacecraft Return Capsule From Sea

WENCHANG (Hainan), Feb 11 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday successfully conducted its first maritime search and retrieval of a crewed spacecraft's return capsule, according to the China Manned Space Agency, reported Xinhua.

The Mengzhou (dream vessel) spacecraft, China's new-generation spaceship for crewed missions, successfully conducted a maximum dynamic pressure abort test and achieved a safe splashdown on the sea. It was carried out during a low-altitude demonstration and verification flight test of the Long March-10 carrier rocket.

At 12.20 pm (Beijing Time), the maritime search and rescue team completed the recovery of the return capsule. The success offered crucial experience for subsequent space station operation and crewed lunar landing, the agency said.

The spacecraft Mengzhou is designed mainly for China's crewed lunar exploration and can also be used for space station operation. Its return capsule is capable of multiple reuses.  

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA