![The Shenzhou-16 spacecraft parachutes to the surface of the Gobi Desert. Credit: China Manned Space Agency](https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/F9xgwcIX0AAq_Nk.jpg)
The Shenzhou-16 spacecraft parachutes to the surface of the Gobi Desert. Credit: China Manned Space Agency
The fifth long-duration crew mission to China’s Tiangong space station has concluded after the three-person Shenzhou-16 landed in China following a 154-day stay aboard the outpost.
Returning to Earth were Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao. The Shenzhou-16 capsule parachuted to the bottom, touching down at about 8:12 p.m. EDT Oct. 30 (00:12 UTC / 8:12 a.m. Beijing time Oct. 31) just north of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China’s Gobi Desert.
![Teams on the ground help the Shenzhou-16 taikonauts from their capsule. Credit: China Manned Space Agency](https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/F9usKTaa4AAx9PQ.jpg)
Teams on the bottom help the Shenzhou-16 taikonauts from their capsule. Credit: China Manned Space Agency
Shenzhou-16 undocked from the Tiangong space station several hours earlier at 8:37 a.m. EDT (12:37 UTC). The trio was replaced by the three person Shenzhou-17 crew, which launched to the outpost last week and can remain there until May 2024.
This was the completion of the fifth long-duration spaceflight to Tiangong since 2021 and the eleventh human spaceflight conducted by China since 2003.
This was the fourth spaceflight for Jing and the primary for the opposite two. Moreover, Gui was the primary Chinese civilian (not a member of the military) to fly in space. He’s a professor at Beihang University.
In the course of the course of their five-month mission, the crew conducted 70 science experiments and performed maintenance on the outpost, including one nearly eight-hour spacewalk, which was performed July 20 by Jing and Zhu. Gui also delivered a lecture from the outpost.