China’s Shenzhou-21 mission has successfully docked with the Tiangong space station, carrying three astronauts — and four mice.
The spacecraft connected with Tiangong at 3:35 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, according to a Chinese Xinhua News Agency.
It launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Center in the Gobi Desert aboard a Long March-2F rocket, marking another milestone in Beijing’s fast-rising space ambitions.
The Tiangong station, home to rotating three-person crews every six months, stands as the crown jewel of China’s multi-billion-dollar space programme.
Beijing has poured vast resources into it as it seeks to rival the United States and Russia in human spaceflight.
China’s Space Dream Grows
The crew — Commander Zhang Lu, flight engineer Wu Fei, and payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang — will spend six months in orbit conducting scientific and engineering experiments. Wu Fei, 32, is the youngest Chinese astronaut ever to go to space.
Before launch, Zhang Lu told reporters, “We will report back to our motherland and its people with complete success.”
Wu Fei added that he felt “incomparably lucky” to represent his country on such a historic mission.
Accompanying the crew are four mice — two males and two females — part of China’s first in-orbit biological experiment involving rodents.
Scientists say the research could reveal how long-term space exposure affects mammals, shedding light on human health during extended missions.
China has made rapid strides in recent years, achieving breakthroughs such as the Chang’e-4 probe landing on the far side of the Moon in 2019 and deploying a Mars rover in 2021.
The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said the Shenzhou-21 team will also install anti-debris shields and conduct spacewalks to protect Tiangong from orbital junk.
Marching Toward the Moon
The mission is part of Beijing’s push to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030 and establish a lunar base — a bold vision President Xi Jinping calls China’s “space dream.”
The CMSA confirmed that preparations for the lunar landing are already underway with “crucial upcoming tests.”
China remains barred from the bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-66530526">International Space Station due to U.S. legislation preventing NASA from cooperating with Beijing.
Yet, it continues to build global partnerships, including an agreement with Pakistan in February 2025 to recruit the first foreign “taikonauts.”
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