The two Chinese astronauts aboard the Shezhou-11 have successfully returned to Earth on Friday, according to a live broadcast by China Central Television (CCTV).

Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong, who have been staying and working in the Tiangong-2 space lab since Oct. 18, have landed safely in the northern region of Inner Mongolia.

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CCentral Television revealed images of the Shenzhou-11 on the ground flanked by Chinese flags and ground teams. The capsule successfully touched down at 2:15 p.m. Friday local time (01:15 a,m, ET), according to Reuters citing Xinhua.

Before the astronauts were allowed to go out from the capsule, medical examinations were conducted. But Zhang Youxia, the space mission's chief commander, assured in a televised speech that both are in good condition.

According to NASA Space Flight, the Chinese astronauts, who conducted the six crewed mission for China, carried out several experiments including on-orbit examinations of the crew's hearts, lungs, and biochemistry conditions, and effective prevention for space motion sickness. The duo also had the chance to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the flight days.

Meanwhile, the Tiangong-2 will remain in its orbit and will resume conducting experiments until it docks with Tianzhou-1, China's first cargo spacecraft, which is expected to be launched in April 2017.

"Tiangong is a precursor testbed of capabilities. Building toward the large space station has always been the culminating goal of the Shenzhou program," Joan Johnson-Freese, a professor from the Naval War College, told CNN.

The Shenzhou-11 started its return journey on Thursday. It separated from the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab at 12:41 p.m. (Beijing Time). 

TagsShenzhou 11, Tiangong-2, China space mission, Chinese astronauts