The Shenzhou XVIII crew returned to Earth early Monday morning, concluding a six-month mission onboard the Tiangong space station.

The astronauts brought back 55 sets of experimental samples, with a combined weight of 34.6 kilograms. These are related to 28 experimental projects, ranging from life sciences to microgravity combustion research.

The spaceship's reentry capsule, carrying mission commander Senior Colonel Ye Guangfu and crew members Lieutenant Colonel Li Cong and Lieutenant Colonel Li Guangsu, flew for more than nine hours before touching down at 1:24 am at the Dongfeng Landing Site in the middle of the Gobi Desert in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Ground recovery personnel from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center — the homeport for China's manned spaceflights — conducted safety checks outside the bell-shaped capsule, opened its hatch and examined the astronauts' health.

The Shenzhou XVIII crew members were then helped out of the capsule and seated on chairs, and they shared their experiences in a live program with a reporter from China Central Television.

Mission commander Ye, who now holds the record among Chinese astronauts of spending the longest time in space, said he is grateful to the motherland and its people, as well as to all those taking part in the nation's manned space programs.

"Through this mission, I returned to the Tiangong space station and had an orbital journey for the second time. It gave me an opportunity to have a personal experience of the new developments made in our space industry," he said.

"We will always keep in mind the tasks given by the Party and the people, and continue to work hard to fulfill our duty in building our country into a great space power," he added.

Li Cong said the crew members cooperated very well with each other to achieve all the given tasks, noting that their two spacewalks were fully successful. He added that the trio will return for training as soon as possible, so that they can take part in future space missions.