Shenzhou 17

Shenzhou 17 was China's second crewed mission of the Tiangong space station application and development phase. The spacecraft launched from Jiuquan on October 26, 2023 Beijing Time with commander Tang Hongbo and first-time flyers Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, then docked with the Tianhe core module about six and a half hours later. CMSA described the mission as a regular long-duration station rotation with science and application payload work, crew handover, cargo and airlock tasks, station maintenance, and evaluation of the completed station assembly. The crew's most visible maintenance work was a pair of EVAs addressing damage to Tianhe solar-wing systems after impacts from small space objects. During the 187-day expedition, Shenzhou 17 welcomed Tianzhou 7 and Shenzhou 18, completed the handover to the next crew, and returned to the Dongfeng landing area on April 30, 2024. Chinese reporting said the astronauts were in good health after landing and the mission was successful.