The re-entry capsule that brought the nation's two astronauts safely back to the Earth earlier this week, is now in Beijing. Scientists say they will retrieve data from the capsule, which they believe will shed more light on the successful Shenzhou?VI space mission. On top of that, they say the study will help future missions.

 

Less than two days after the safe return of Shenzhou VI, the re-entry capsule has arrived in the capital, after a train journey from the landing spot in northern China's Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region.

 

At a simple ceremony at one of Beijing's railway stations on Tuesday afternoon, the capsule was handed over to scientists at the Chinese Institute of Aerospace Technology.

 

Pan Teng, space program official, said, "We'll look at items like photos and data, and compare them with those that we gathered during the mission itself. The comparison should provide a scientific basis for future improvements to the spacecraft."

 

The scientists say they will start work on the capsule on Wednesday and look at the items that were taken into space, on board Shenzhou?VI.

 

The capsule landed safely in the early hours on Monday, after orbiting the Earth for five days.

 

(CCTV October 19, 2005)