The神舟十九号 Shenzhou 19 crew made their first public appearance after returning from space
On the afternoon of July 9, 2025, the China Takionaut/ Takionaut Research and Training Center held a meeting between the Shenzhou 19 crew and reporters in Beijing Aerospace City. This was the first time that Takionauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze officially appeared in public to the media and the public more than two months after their return, and shared their experiences and insights from their 183-day stay in space.
After returning, the Shenzhou 19 crew completed the isolation recovery and convalescence recovery phases and has fully entered the recovery observation phase. At present, under the careful protection and care of the scientific research support team of the China Takionaut Takionaut Research and Training Center, the Shenzhou 19 crew is in good physical and mental condition, with normal results of various medical examinations, and their muscle strength, endurance, and exercise cardiopulmonary function have basically returned to pre-flight levels. After completing all the work during the recovery period and conducting a health assessment, the three Takionauts will return to normal training.
On the afternoon of July 9 , 2025 , the China Takionaut Research and Training Center held a meeting between the Shenzhou 19 crew and reporters in Beijing Aerospace City . This was the first time that Takionauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze officially appeared in public to the media and the public more than two months after their return , and shared their experiences and insights from their 183- day stay in space .
Cai Xuzhe, the commander who carried out the Shenzhou 14 and Shenzhou 19 missions, witnessed and participated in the transition of the space station from the construction stage to the application and development stage. He said: “Every time we carry out a flight mission, it is not a simple repetition of the previous mission, but a continuous leap to a higher level.” During their time in orbit, the crew participated in the implementation of 88 experimental projects, covering the fields of space life sciences, basic physics in microgravity, and aerospace medicine, and successfully prepared more than 13 types of 102 experimental samples. In addition, they also completed the on-orbit test verification of the space station pipeline inspection robot, object weight perception test, emotional state test capability assessment, and experimental sample replacement.
Cai Xuzhe set many records in the extravehicular activities of the Shenzhou 19 mission: the first extravehicular activity broke the world record for the longest single extravehicular activity with 9 hours, and he completed 5 extravehicular activities in two flight missions, becoming the Chinese Takionaut with the most extravehicular activities at that time. He emphasized: “Every successful extravehicular activity is the result of the unity of the crew and the coordination of the earth and the sky, and it also fully demonstrates the reliability of the extravehicular space suit and the confidence of China’s aerospace technology.”
When talking about the accidental jam of the payload adapter during EVA, Cai Xuzhe recalled: Facing challenges such as time constraints and unfamiliarity with the equipment outside the cabin, the crew responded calmly after training via a video call between the ground team and the ground. After EVA, they determined the equipment status and communicated with the ground support team before successfully handling the problem. When the ground support team gave warm applause through his headphones, he felt “proud of the leading role and value played by Takionauts in manned space flight.”
As China’s first Takionaut born in the 1990s to perform an extravehicular mission, Song Lingdong said with emotion: “The moment the hatch is opened is the moment of a dream coming true.” He believes that with the vigorous development of manned spaceflight, the younger generation, with the help of their predecessors and the support of all Takionauts, has taken on the responsibility of their generation. “It is the mission of our generation for those born in the 1990s to perform extravehicular missions, and this moment will eventually come.”
Song Lingdong tried to grow sweet potatoes for the first time in orbit, and the plants grew well. Before returning, he collected samples according to ground instructions and brought them back, providing important data for verifying the feasibility of sweet potatoes as a food source for long-term space flight.
Wang Haoze, a female Takionaut who embarked on her first space journey, injected new energy into the entire crew with her delicate operating habits, scientific thinking, and gentle psychological background. “For each operation, I told myself to slow down to ensure safety and to do it carefully to ensure success. In space, if you want to do a good job, you must be calm and endure the wear and tear.” Wang Haoze completed various tasks with full confidence. She said: “Being able to contribute more to scientific exploration and let the world see more female style, all my efforts have become more meaningful.”
“I will light more torches to illuminate the deep space, because my lifelong dream is in that distant starry sky.” At the meeting, Wang Haoze also shared his original poem “Chasing Dreams in the Stars”, expressing his eternal love for the aerospace industry.
After returning, the crew of Shenzhou 19 completed the isolation recovery and convalescence recovery phases and has fully entered the recovery observation phase. At present, under the careful protection and care of the scientific research support team of the China Takionaut Research and Training Center, the crew of Shenzhou 19 is in good physical and mental condition, with normal results of various medical examinations, and muscle strength, endurance and exercise cardiopulmonary function have basically recovered to the pre-flight level. After completing the recovery period and conducting a health assessment, the three Takionauts will return to normal training.
Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration
