(Photo/Huang Jie)

China's spacecraft tracking ship Yuanwang-7 returned to its home port in Jiangsu Province on Sep 23 after completing maritime monitoring missions.

Liu Mingyue, the ship’s chief officer, said Yuanwang-7 travelled over 20,000 nautical miles and overcame many difficulties, such as harsh meteorological conditions and high work intensity, in successfully completing a number of missions.

The vessel has played an important role in maritime monitoring this year as China increased space launch missions. As it returned to the port, preparation for the next mission is already underway, including the crew change and supplies.

As a member of China's new generation of spacecraft tracking ships, Yuanwang-7 has been developed with the latest technologies in shipbuilding, space monitoring, marine meteorology and shipping power.