Two Chinese astronauts return from the nation's longest manned space mission yet: Month-long stay could pave the way for a journey to Mars

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A pair of Chinese astronauts have returned from a month-long stay aboard the country's space station.

The two astronauts, Jing Haipeng, 50, and Chen Dong, 38, spent 30 days aboard the Tiangong 2 space laboratory, or 'Heavenly Palace 2'. 

This marks China's sixth and longest crewed mission and a sign of the growing ambitions of its rapidly advancing space program, that hopes to see a manned mission to Mars within the decade.

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A pair of Chinese astronauts have returned from a month-long stay aboard the country's space station. The two astronauts, Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong, spent 30 days aboard the Tiangong 2 space laboratory, or 'Heavenly Palace 2'. The return capsule is pictured

China's Shenzhou-11 space capsule landed safely in the northern region of Inner Mongolia with two astronauts aboard.

Veteran mission commander Jing Haipeng and first-time space traveller Chen Dong were reported in good health after their Shenzhou-11 return vehicle landed on the frozen steppes of Inner Mongolia.

Mission commander Zhang Youxia, who is also a senior military official, said in a televised speech that they were in 'good condition'.

'The Tiangong 2 and Shenzhou 11 flight duties were a complete success,' Zhang said. 

The Shenzhou-11 spacecraft blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi desert on 17 October. 

 Veteran mission commander Jing Haipeng and first-time space traveller Chen Dong were reported in good health after their Shenzhou-11 return vehicle landed on the frozen steppes of Inner Mongolia. The successful landing is pictured

The pair spent 30 days aboard the Tiangong 2 station, conducting experiments and testing equipment in preparation for the launching of the station's core module in 2018.

A fully functioning, permanently crewed space station is on course to begin operations six years from now and is slated to run for at least a decade.

The success of the mission 'indicates that our manned space program has achieved major new progress and is the latest achievement in building a country of innovation and a world power of science and technology,' the ruling Communist Party's Central Committee, the Cabinet and the party commission controlling the military said in a congratulatory message.

'It is the newest achievement of Chinese people in climbing the peak of the world,' said the letter, read out by Vice Premier Zhao Gaoli at the space flight control centre in Beijing.

Since first launching a human into space 13 years ago, China has launched two space stations, staged a space-walk, landed a rover on the moon and is now considering sending a crewed lunar mission.

The astronauts remained on board for 30 days - the longest stay thus far by Chinese astronauts - to conduct tests on spacecraft-related technologies and scientific and engineering experiments. The spacecraft blasting off in October is shown

China's Shenzhou-11 space capsule landed safely in the northern region of Inner Mongolia with two astronauts aboard. Helicopters stand by at the landing area for Shenzhou-11 spacecraft, pictured 

Veteran mission commander Jing Haipeng and first-time space traveller Chen Dong were reported in good health after their Shenzhou-11 return vehicle landed on the frozen steppes of Inner Mongolia.Members of a ground searching team pictured 

The Tiangong, or 'Heavenly Palace,' space stations are considered stepping stones to a mission to send a rover to Mars by the end of the decade.

Communications with the disused experimental Tiangong 1 station have been cut and it is expected to burn up on entering the atmosphere next year.

China was excluded from the International Space Station mainly due to US legislation barring such cooperation and concerns over the Chinese space program's strongly military character.

Chinese officials are now looking to internationalize their own program by offering to help finance other countries' missions to Tiangong 2, which, at 54 tonnes (60 tons) when completed, would still be considerably smaller than the 380-tonne (420-ton) ISS. 

The space station was launched on September 15 and is orbiting (244 miles )393 kilometres) above Earth. 

Tiangong 2 will remain in its orbit and next docks with Tianzhou 1, China's first cargo spacecraft, which is set to be launched in April next year, according to state media.

China will launch a 'core module' for its first space station some time around 2018, a senior official said in April, part of a plan for a permanent manned space station in service around 2022.

China is pouring billions into its military-run space programme and working to catch up with the US and Europe, with hopes to have a crewed outpost by 2022

Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng (pictured left) and Chen Dong (pictured right) salute during the send-off ceremony of the Shenzhou-11 manned space mission in October, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in north-western Gansu Province