In Space/Beijing, China - May 29, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Screen at Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center showing animation of space station combination
2. Various of Shenzhou-22 spaceship undocking from space station combination
3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) ground staff member (name not given/starting with shot 2):
"Undocking done; the spacecraft turns forward 19 meters to reach a safe evacuation distance."
4. Animation showing undocking process
5. Various of Shenzhou-21, Shenzhou-23 crew on space station
6. Space station combination
7. Various of undocking process; Shenzhou-22 spaceship; split screens showing animation; Shenzhou-23 crew on space station
8. Shenzhou-21 crew in capsule

Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, north China - May 29, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Various of vehicles at gathering point for search, retrieval of Shenzhou-21 astronauts
10. Various of helicopters

China's Shenzhou-22 crewed spaceship undocked from the space station combination at 14:44 (Beijing Time) on Friday, and will commence the return mission to bring the Shenzhou-21 astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang back to Earth, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The spaceship is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region later.

The CMSA said that prior to the separation, the Shenzhou-21 crew, with the assistance of the ground staff, completed various tasks such as setting the status of the space station combination, processing and transmitting the experimental data, and transferring remaining supplies. The Shenzhou-21 crew also carried out handover work and exchanged in-orbit work experience with the Shenzhou-23 crew who entered the space station on May 25.

At this moment, over 100 vehicles, including command vehicles, search vehicles, medical monitoring and rescue vehicles, and emergency response vehicles, have gathered at the Dongfeng landing site for the return of the Shenzhou-21 crew. The air detachment has completed all pre-flight preparations and is ready to proceed to the designated airspace.

The Shenzhou-21 crew's planned stay in-orbit was extended by approximately one month to further verify technologies regarding the long-term stay of astronauts in orbit and fully use the supplies delivered by the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft in an emergency launch.

The Shenzhou-21 crew's original spaceship, which sent them into space on Oct 31, 2025, was previously returned to Earth carrying the astronauts of the preceding Shenzhou-20 mission after tiny cracks were found in the viewport window of the Shenzhou-20 manned spacecraft's return capsule. That spacecraft was later safely brought back to Earth.