Reentry module of China's Shenzhou-11 back home

Beijing, ChinaUpdated: Nov 18, 2016, 12:47 PM IST

China's Long March-2F carrier rocket transporting the manned spacecraft Shenzhou-11 blasts off from the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwestern China's Gansu Province on October 17, 2016. Photograph:(AFP)

The reentry module of Shenzhou-11 returned and landed safely in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at about 13:59 Friday Beijing Time.

The two Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong opened the hatch and the ground search team members reported that the astronauts were safe and sound.

After separating from the spacecraft's orbiting capsule at noon Friday, the return capsule entered the return orbit.

The main parachute of the return capsule was successfully let out and the capsule landed sideways.

The return capsule was found by the ground search team in the main landing area at 14:07, according to the Beijing Aerospace Control Center.

Commander-in-chief of China's manned space program Zhang Youxia announced the success of the Shenzhou-11 mission.

Shenzhou-11 was China's sixth manned spacecraft, and also the country's longest mission to date. After its launch on Oct. 17, the spacecraft docked two days later with China's first space lab, Tiangong-2, where the two astronauts lived for 30 days.

(Reuters)