(Xinhua/Wang Heng)
China successfully carried out the first maritime search and recovery operation for a return capsule of a manned spacecraft on Wednesday, the China Human Spaceflight Agency said.
The Mengzhou (Dream Ship) spacecraft, China’s next-generation spacecraft for manned missions, successfully completed a flight abort test under maximum dynamic pressure and landed safely. This test was carried out during a low altitude demonstration and verification flight of the Long March-10 carrier rocket.
At 12:20 p.m. (Beijing Time), the maritime search and rescue team completed the recovery of the return capsule. This success provided crucial experience for the subsequent operation of the space station and the manned lunar landing, according to the agency.
The Mengzhou spacecraft is mainly designed for China’s manned lunar operation and can also be used for space station operation. Its return capsule is reusable several times.
