They were still in the atmosphere...
The "blue illusion" is an illusion that the earth is enclosed in a blue sky. Its also an illusion in that blue is part of the colour green. In reality the atmosphere and space have narrower boundaries, like you say, not clear cut ones where the blue sky ends.
If you AGREE Van Allens belts are part of EARTHS electro magnetic shield. ANd that NO human can PASS this due to extreme levels of radiation.
Then the CHINESE never left earth atmosphere. In fact no human ever has.