Shenzhou-21 docks with Tiangong just 3.5 hours after launch

China’s latest crewed mission begins six-month stay aboard the space station

China’s Shenzhou-21 spacecraft successfully docked with the Tiangong space station only 3.5 hours after launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, marking one of the fastest crewed rendezvous operations to date.

Commanded by Zhang Lu, with Zhang Hongzhang and Wu Fei as crewmates, the spacecraft docked at 19:22 UTC at Tiangong’s Tianhe core module. The trio will join the Shenzhou-20 crew already aboard and begin a six-month mission focused on a wide range of scientific and technological experiments.

The Shenzhou-21 crew will carry out studies in biotechnology, fluid physics, space medicine, and materials science, and conduct reproduction experiments with four black mice brought aboard. Several spacewalks and educational outreach events are also planned.

Shenzhou-21 launched atop a Long March 2F rocket at 15:44 UTC, marking the seventh crewed mission to Tiangong since its completion in 2022.

China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) confirmed that Shenzhou-20’s Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie will hand over station operations before returning to Earth on Nov. 3.

The Tiangong programme, initiated in 1992, now supports continuous human presence in orbit, with plans for expansion through additional modules.

Meanwhile, CMSA reported steady progress toward China’s first crewed lunar landing before 2030, with key components—including the Long March 10 rocket, Mengzhou crew spacecraft, and Lanyue lunar lander—entering advanced prototype stages. The first Mengzhou test flight is expected in 2026.