China's 20th recoverable satellite for scientific and technological experiments, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwest China desert on September 27, landed in the country at 10:43 am Friday.

All the apparatus and instruments aboard the satellite worked normally when it was orbiting the Earth. It accomplished all the jobs for scientific research, land surveying and mapping, according to official sources.

The Xi'an Satellite Measuring and Control Center had monitored the movements of the satellite continuously over the past 18 days, and recovered its return capsule Friday morning, while its apparatus capsule will continue to stay on orbit.

In 1975, China launched its first return satellite for science and technological experiments.