Shenzhou 21

Shenzhou 21 was a China Manned Space Agency crewed mission to the Tiangong Space Station. The spacecraft launched from Jiuquan on October 31, 2025 with commander Zhang Lu, flight engineer Wu Fei, and payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang, then docked with Tiangong for crew rotation with Shenzhou 20. The mission became unusual after the Shenzhou 20 return capsule was found unsuitable for crew return; the Shenzhou 20 crew returned aboard the Shenzhou 21 spacecraft, while the Shenzhou 21 crew remained on Tiangong and later received the uncrewed Shenzhou 22 as their return vehicle. Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang continued station operations, science work, cargo handling, debris-shielding installation, external inspections, and three EVAs during a record 210-day stay for a Chinese station crew. They returned safely aboard Shenzhou 22 on May 29, 2026, and CMSA reported the mission a complete success.