Overview

• The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft launched at 5:17 pm local time on April 24, 2025, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, carrying three astronauts to the Tiangong space station.
• Commander Chen Dong, on his third mission, is joined by first-time astronauts Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie for a six-month stay aboard the station.
• The mission includes experiments in regenerative biology, high-temperature superconductors, and neurological health research using planarians and zebrafish.
• Outgoing Shenzhou-19 astronauts, after 175 days in space, will return to Earth on April 29 following a handover period.
• China is also preparing to train two Pakistani astronauts, one of whom will become the first foreign national aboard Tiangong, as part of its growing international space collaborations.