JIUQUAN, April 30 -- China's Shenzhou-17 manned spaceship separated from the country's space station combination at 8:43 a.m. Tuesday (Beijing Time), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Three astronauts aboard, Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin, are returning to Earth after staying in orbit for about half a year.

The CMSA said that prior to the separation, the Shenzhou-17 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, and then carried out handover work with the Shenzhou-18 crew.

China launched the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship on April 25, sending three astronauts -- Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu -- to its space station for another six-month mission.