Chinese astronauts return from mission

• Tweet

BEIJING, June 29 (UPI) -- Three Chinese astronauts have successfully completed the country's first manned space docking mission and returned to Earth Friday.

The return capsule of the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft carrying mission commander Jing Haipeng, Lu Wiang and China's first woman astronaut Liu Yang parachuted to the ground in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as planned, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

Medical staff entered the capsule after touchdown and confirmed the astronauts were in good condition.

After brief physical examinations at the landing site the astronauts were flown to Beijing.

Chinese leaders including Premier Wen Jiabao had arrived at the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center Friday morning to watch the return of the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft.

It had separated from the Tiangong 1 prototype space module Wednesday.

The astronauts spent 13 days in space on a historic mission that saw China become only the third nation to successfully dock a manned spacecraft to another in orbit.

"It was like a home in Tiangong and I feel very happy and proud of my country," Liu Yang told reporters after landing.