China's Shenzhou-20 astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie made their first public appearance since completing their historic space mission during a press conference in Beijing on January 16, 2026. The event marked three months since their successful return to Earth in November 2025 after completing China's longest crewed space station mission to date.
During the briefing, the crew shared technical details about operating the Tiangong space station's expanded modules and discussed advancements in life support systems that enabled their extended stay. Commander Chen Dong emphasized the significance of their experiments in space botany, which yielded promising results for future long-duration missions.
The astronauts' revelations come as China prepares for its next phase of space station construction, with multiple cargo and crewed missions planned through 2026. Their insights provide valuable data for international partners collaborating on space research projects through the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.
