China now capable of recovering spacecraft from both land and sea

The test mission of China's Mengzhou (Dream Vessel) spacecraft has demonstrated that China is capable of searching for and recovering its return capsule from both land and sea.

The Mengzhou spacecraft -- China's new-generation spaceship for crewed missions -- conducted a successful maximum dynamic pressure abort test and achieved a safe splashdown in planned waters of the sea on Wednesday.

A maritime search and rescue team then completed the recovery of the return capsule. The success provides crucial experience for subsequent space station operations and crewed lunar landing missions, the China Manned Space Agency said.

Previously, the aerospace search and rescue team of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center successfully completed multiple major missions, including the search and recovery of the return capsules of the Shenzhou spacecraft and the Chang'e lunar missions.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center official Li Xin said that relying on the support of the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site and the newly developed and tested equipment, the aerospace search and rescue team, together with the Nanhai Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Transport, has successfully established a joint maritime search and rescue link, and developed maritime aerospace search and rescue capabilities.

For this mission, the team focused on capacity-building in the areas of command and control, search and monitoring, salvage and recovery, and communication support.

"Unlike the relatively clean electromagnetic environment of the Gobi Desert in northwest China, the marine environment -- with high temperature, humidity and salinity levels, as well as strong winds and waves -- poses considerable challenges to communication," said Shang Xu from the team's communication unit.

The unit formed an integrated sea-air-ground communication network using shipborne 5G, satellite communication and shore-based stations to ensure the success of the mission, according to Shang.

The search and rescue team previously conducted multiple whole-process training exercises for such operations as return capsule search, disposal and diving.

"Through repeated verification and discussion, we have continuously optimized the disposal plans and equipment," team member Song Changyou said.

"This mission has accumulated valuable experience for the development China's maritime search and rescue system, and for the development of maritime landing sites," Li said.