Overview
- Shenzhou-21 linked up with Tiangong about 3.5 hours after launch at 3:22 a.m. Saturday, setting a national record for the fastest docking.
- The three-person crew comprises commander Zhang Lu and first-time flyers Zhang Hongzhang and 32-year-old Wu Fei, now China’s youngest astronaut in space.
- Four laboratory mice—two male and two female—arrived for China’s first mammal experiment on the station, a short study of behavior and physiology expected to last about a week.
- The six-month mission includes 27 experiments and station work such as installing debris shielding and testing next-generation spacesuits.
- The new arrivals began handover activities with the Shenzhou-20 team, who are slated to depart and return to Earth in the coming days.