Overview
- The crewed Shenzhou-21 spacecraft arrived at 19:22 UTC on Oct. 31, about 3.5 hours after launching from Jiuquan, according to Chinese authorities.
- Commander Zhang Lu is joined by flight engineer Wu Fei, 32, now China’s youngest astronaut to fly, and payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang.
- Four mice—two male and two female—are aboard for China’s first in‑orbit rodent studies, with the animals expected to return after 5–7 days with the outgoing crew for analysis.
- Over roughly six months, the mission plans 27 experiments spanning space life sciences, biotechnology, materials science, fluid physics, combustion and space medicine.
- A handover with the Shenzhou-20 crew is underway ahead of their planned Nov. 3 return, as the space agency also reiterates progress toward a 2030 crewed Moon landing and a future short-duration flight opportunity for a trained Pakistani payload specialist.