China astronauts return after 90 days aboard space station
Beijing, Sep 17: A trio of Chinese astronauts returned to earth Friday after a 90-day stay aboard their nation's first space station in China's longest mission yet.
Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo landed in the Shenzhou-12 spaceship just after 1:30 p.m. (0530 GMT) after having undocked from the space station Thursday morning.
State broadcaster CCTV showed footage of the spacecraft parachuting to land in the Gobi Desert where it was met by helicopters and off-road vehicles. Minutes later, a crew of technicians began opening the hatch of the capsule, which appeared undamaged.
After launching on June 17, mission commander Nie and astronauts Liu and Tang went on two spacewalks, deployed a 10-meter (33-foot) mechanical arm, and had a video call with Communist Party leader Xi Jinping.
While few details have been made public by China's military, which runs the space program, astronaut trios are expected to be brought on 90-day missions to the station over the next two years to make it fully functional.
The government has not announced the names of the next set of astronauts nor the launch date of Shenzhou-13.
China has sent 14 astronauts into space since 2003, when it became only the third country after the former Soviet Union and the United States to do so on its own.
China embarked on its own space station program after being excluded from the International Space Station, largely due to U.S. objections to the Chinese space program's secrecy and military backing.
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Belagavi Airport: BJP MP urges action against airlines for halting operations on profitable routes
New Delhi (PTI): Karnataka BJP MP Iranna Kadadi on Friday raised the issue of dwindling air connectivity at Belagavi airport in the Rajya Sabha, urging the government to take strict action against airlines that have discontinued services despite high passenger demand.
Raising the matter during Zero Hour in the Upper House, Kadadi pointed out that while Belagavi was supposed to be connected to 13 cities through five airlines under the Udaan-3 scheme, connectivity has now been reduced to just five cities, served by two airlines.
"Airlines only provide services until they get viability gap funding or subsidy from the government. As soon as the subsidy expires, they stop flying," he said.
The MP highlighted that despite the end of the Udaan-3 scheme, passenger numbers remained robust.
The airport recorded 3,40,300 passengers in 2024-25, marking a 9 per cent increase over the previous year. Load factors on routes to Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad ranged between 85 per cent and 95 per cent.
"When flights were running at more than 90 per cent capacity and were providing benefits even without a subsidy, it is wrong to stop service through airlines," Kadadi said, questioning the decision to halt operations on profitable routes.
Built by the Royal Air Force in 1942, Belagavi airport serves a strategically important region bordering Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa.
The city hosts major defence establishments, including the Maratha Light Infantry, ITBP, Commando Training Centre and Air Force units. It is also an educational, medical and industrial hub.
The central government is currently expanding the airport with a new terminal building worth Rs 262.64 crore and an apron costing Rs 25.98 crore.
Kadadi urged the government to restore flights from Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Indore and Jaipur for the convenience of security personnel and the general public, emphasising that the high load factor justified continued operations.
