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Shenzhou-20 Crew Begins Six-Month Mission on Tiangong Space Station

The crew of three astronauts has taken over operations from Shenzhou-19, which completed a record-setting mission before returning to Earth on April 30, 2025.

FILE- Chinese astronauts Wang Haoze, from left, Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong wave as they attend the see-off ceremony for the Shenzhou-19 mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, in the early hours of Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
FILE -Shenzhou-19 spacecraft sitting atop a Long March rocket takes off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwestern China in the early hours of Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
A Long March-2F rocket carrying the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft sits at the launch pad before taking off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center for a crewed mission to China's Tiangong space station, near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China October 30, 2024. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo
Artist's rendering of the Tiangong space station (Credit: Shujianyang/CC 4.0)

Overview

  • The Shenzhou-20 mission launched on April 25, 2025, carrying astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie to the Tiangong space station.
  • This mission marks Chen Dong's third spaceflight, while Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie are on their first missions, with plans for six months of experiments and upgrades.
  • The Shenzhou-19 crew, which conducted a nine-hour record spacewalk, returned to Earth on April 30 after a one-day delay caused by sandstorms in Inner Mongolia.
  • The Tiangong station, built entirely by China following its exclusion from the International Space Station, continues to operate under the China Manned Space Agency and the PLA.
  • Shenzhou-20 also delivered equipment for life sciences, microgravity physics, and new technologies, further advancing China's space research and capabilities.