In Space - June 2, 2023 (China Manned Space Agency - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Fei Junlong, Shenzhou-15 commander, shaking hands with Shenzhou-16 crew members at handover ceremony
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Jing Haipeng, Shenzhou-16 commander:
"On behalf of the Shenzhou-16 mission crew and after a thorough inspection and review, I have confirmed that there is no problem and will sign."
3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Fei Junlong, Shenzhou-15 commander:
"Then we will now sign for handover confirmation."

Beijing, China - June 2, 2023 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Huang Weifen, chief designer, China manned space program's astronaut system (ending with shot 5):
"We have to ensure a complete handover, covering spacecraft status settings. Devices and equipment must be available to guarantee the normal operation of EVAs as well as astronauts' healthy living and work, and we must ensure the status of laboratory facilities and equipment and the progress of in-orbit experiments as well as samples and materials."

In Space - June 2, 2023 (China Manned Space Agency - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Jing, Fei signing confirmation letters, showing letters
6. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Fei Junlong, Shenzhou-15 commander:
"I wish you full success in fulfilling your next tasks."

Beijing, China - June 2, 2023 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Huang Weifen, chief designer, China manned space program's astronaut system (ending with shot 8):
"For each in-orbit rotation, we plan to leave one copy of the confirmation letters in the Tiangong Space Station, while astronauts bring the original letters back to Earth. For each new crew boarding the space station, they will find the names of their predecessors in the letters. I would call this a 'historical inheritance.'"

In Space - June 2, 2023 (China Manned Space Agency - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Crew members of Shenzhou-15 and Shenzhou-16 missions shaking hands with each other, posing for group photo
9. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Fei Junlong, Shenzhou-15 commander:
"We have completed the in-orbit mission of Shenzhou-15. Now I hand over the keys to the space station to you, as arranged."
10. Fei handing over keys to Jing
11. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Jing Haipeng, Shenzhou-16 commander:
"I thank the Shenzhou-15 crew for laying a good foundation for us."

Beijing, China - June 2, 2023 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
12. Various of staff members working at Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center

The Shenzhou-15 crew members are scheduled to return to Earth on June 4 after staying in orbit on China's space station for half a year and completing the handover of their duties to their Shenzhou-16 counterparts.

The astronaut trio - Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu - are expected to touch down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The landing site has completed preparations for the return of the three astronauts.

The three outgoing astronauts on Friday concluded a handover ceremony with the three arriving astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station.

"On behalf of the Shenzhou-16 mission crew and after a thorough inspection and review, I have confirmed that there is no problem and will sign," said Jing Haipeng, Shenzhou-16 commander.

"Then we will now sign for handover confirmation," said Fei Junlong, Shenzhou-15 commander.

The crew members of Shenzhou-15 and Shenzhou-16 then signed the confirmation letters.

"I wish you full success in fulfilling your next tasks," said Fei.

"We have completed the in-orbit mission of Shenzhou-15. Now I hand over the keys to the space station to you, as arranged," he noted.

"I thank the Shenzhou-15 crew for laying a good foundation for us," said Jing.

During their stay in orbit, the Shenzhou-15 crew completed four extravehicular activities (EVAs), conducted eight human factors engineering research activities, 28 space medical experiments and 38 science experiments in the fields of life ecology, material science and fluid mechanics, and obtained valuable experimental data.

According to Huang Weifeng, chief designer of China's manned space program's astronaut system, the handover process is a crucial step to ensuring the safety of both crews and the success of the upcoming missions.

"We have to ensure a complete handover, covering spacecraft status settings. Devices and equipment must be available to guarantee the normal operation of EVAs as well as astronauts' healthy living and work, and we must ensure the status of laboratory facilities and equipment and the progress of in-orbit experiments as well as samples and materials," said Huang.

"For each in-orbit rotation, we plan to leave one copy of the confirmation letters in the Tiangong Space Station, while astronauts bring the original letters back to Earth. For each new crew boarding the space station, they will find the names of their predecessors in the letters. I would call this a 'historical inheritance,'" she added.

The Shenzhou-16 manned spaceship was launched into space atop a Long March 2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 09:31 (Beijing Time) Tuesday, sending three astronauts -- Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao -- to the space station combination for a five-month mission.