The Shenzhou 12 crew set off home, and the Tianzhou 3 was ready for departure

　　The Shenzhou 12 crew set off home, and the Tianzhou 3 was ready for departure

　　On September 16, the combination of the Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft and the Long March-7 Yao-4 carrier rocket was vertically transferred to the launch area and will be launched in the near future.

Published by Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Chen Haojie)

　　Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, September 16 (Reporter Fu Yifei) According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, at 8:56 on September 16, 2021, Beijing time, the Shenzhou 12 manned spacecraft and the space station Tianhe core module succeeded Implement separation.

　　Before the separation, the astronaut crew, with the cooperation of ground scientific and technical personnel, completed the pre-evacuation tasks such as setting the state of the space station assembly, sorting and downloading experimental data, and clearing and transferring the orbiting materials.

　　At 13:38, the Shenzhou 12 manned spacecraft and the space station combination completed the orbiting and radial rendezvous tests, which successfully verified the radial rendezvous technology and laid an important technical foundation for subsequent manned missions.

　　The follow-up Shenzhou 12 manned spacecraft will re-enter and return as planned, and the astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, and Tang Hongbo will soon set off to return to the embrace of the motherland.

　　Up to now, the Shenzhou 12 astronaut crew has worked and lived in the space station complex for 90 days, setting a record for Chinese astronauts’ space residence time in a single mission.

　　When the astronauts return, a new batch of space station supplies will be "delivered."

　　According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, on September 16, the combination of the Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft and the Long March-7 Yao-4 carrier rocket was vertically transferred to the launch area.

　　At present, the facilities and equipment of the Wenchang Aerospace Launch Site are in good condition, and various functional inspections and joint tests will be carried out before the launch as planned.