Overview
- Shenzhou-21 lifted off from Jiuquan at 11:44 p.m. local time on Oct. 31 and docked with the Tiangong station about three and a half hours later.
- The crew comprises commander Zhang Lu, payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang, and flight engineer Wu Fei, 32, the youngest Chinese astronaut to fly to date.
- The astronauts begin a roughly six‑month stay to conduct 27 planned experiments across biotechnology, aerospace medicine, and materials science.
- China sent four mice to the station for the first time—two males and two females—selected from about 300 after over 60 days of training for short‑term behavioral studies in microgravity.
- State media report the rodents are expected to remain on the station for five to seven days and return to Earth aboard Shenzhou-20, while the crew prepares spacewalks and debris‑shield installations.