Lunar Update: Mission accomplished as Chinese astronauts return to Earth

A work in progress.

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Mission accomplished as Chinese astronauts return to Earth

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/27/world/asia/china-space-shenzhou-return

By Tim Hume, CNN

updated 4:29 AM EDT, Thu June 27, 2013

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Three Chinese astronauts return after their country's longest manned space voyage
Zhang Xiaoguang: "We are dreamers, and we have now fulfilled our dream"
Shenzhou-10 twice docked with the orbiting space station Tiangong-1
Part of ambitious multi-billion dollar program to establish manned space station by 2020

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Hong Kong (CNN) -- Three Chinese astronauts have returned safely to Earth after completing their country's longest manned space voyage, with their mission hailed by their bosses as a "complete success."

Nie Haisheng, commander of the Shenzhou-10 crew, was the first to emerge from the descent module after it touched down by parachute in an expanse of Inner Mongolian grasslands on Wednesday morning after 15 days in space. He was followed by Wang Yaping, the only female astronaut of the mission, and Zhang Xiaoguang.

"We are dreamers, and we have now fulfilled our dream," Zhang was quoted as saying by the state media China Daily as saying. "Our space dream knows no boundary, and our hard work will never cease."

Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, watching a broadcast of the descent from the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center, congratulated the astronauts on behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

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More pictures and information.

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2348729/Chinese-astronauts-return-safely-experimental-mission-China-ramps-plans-launch-permanent-space-station-2020.html

Mission accomplished! Chinese astronauts return from historic trip to their space station... and plan permanent base by 2020

The Shenzhou 10 capsule landed safely in Inner Mongolia after 15 days aboard the Tiangong 1 space station

The station is a prototype with China hoping to launch a permanent version by 2020

The mission is the longest a manned Chinese spacecraft has been in orbit - beating Shenzhou 9 by two days

During the mission, the three astronauts beamed a live physics class to 60 million school children

By VICTORIA WOOLLASTON