China sent the Shenzhou-21 mission with the youngest astronaut aboard to the 'Tiangong' station
On October 31, China launched the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft with three astronauts aboard to its 'Tiangong' space station. This is the seventh crewed flight to this base.
What is known
On board are three crew members: Commander Zhang Lu (48 years old), who was already part of the Shenzhou-15 flight in 2022, as well as Zhang Hongzhang (39) and Wu Fei (32). The latter has become the youngest Chinese astronaut to ever fly into space.
The mission will last six months. The astronauts will replace the crew of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, who have been on the station for more than half a year, and will return to Earth in the coming days. During their work, the Shenzhou-21 team will conduct scientific experiments and technical tasks related to station maintenance.
Along with the astronauts, four black mice were sent to orbit - the first small mammals on the Chinese space station. They will be part of experiments on reproduction under microgravity conditions.
The Shenzhou program conducts regular launches twice a year. Over the past years, China has been involving young astronauts and expanding the flight program, including conducting long missions and spacewalks. In 2026, the participation of the first foreign astronaut is planned - a representative of Pakistan.
Source: Space.com
