Beijing, November 1, 2025 – A trio of Chinese astronauts, including the country’s youngest ever to fly in space, successfully docked with the Tiangong space station early Saturday morning, marking another milestone in China’s rapidly advancing space program. The Shenzhou-21 spacecraft, carrying the crew and an unusual group of four laboratory mice, connected with the orbital outpost at 3:35 a.m. Beijing time (1935 GMT Friday, October 31), approximately four hours after launching from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China’s Gobi Desert.
The mission, executed aboard a Long March-2F rocket, underscores Beijing’s determination to establish itself as a leading space power, rivaling the United States and Russia. The Tiangong space station, operational since 2021, serves as the centerpiece of China’s independent space infrastructure, hosting rotating crews of three astronauts for six-month missions. The orbiting laboratory has become a symbol of national pride and technological prowess, with Beijing investing billions of dollars into its space ambitions.
The Shenzhou-21 crew comprises mission commander Zhang Lu, a seasoned space pilot; flight engineer Wu Fei, aged 32, who now holds the distinction of being China’s youngest astronaut to undertake a space mission; and payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang, 39. The astronauts departed from the launch site amid a ceremonial send-off, waving to family members and colleagues as a military band performed a patriotic anthem. “We will report back to our motherland and its people with complete success,” Commander Zhang Lu declared to reporters before boarding the spacecraft.
Wu Fei, making his inaugural spaceflight, expressed profound enthusiasm for the mission. “I feel incomparably lucky to have this opportunity,” he said, reflecting the excitement of a new generation of Chinese space explorers. The crew’s journey to Tiangong marks the latest in a series of crewed missions that have solidified China’s status as the third nation—after the United States and the Soviet Union—to independently send humans into orbit.
Accompanying the astronauts on their voyage are four mice—two male and two female—selected for China’s first in-orbit biological experiments involving rodents. These small passengers are part of a groundbreaking study aimed at understanding the effects of prolonged exposure to space conditions on mammalian physiology. Scientists hope the research will yield critical insights into muscle atrophy, bone density loss, and other biological changes experienced in microgravity, with potential applications for future long-duration human spaceflight, including China’s planned missions to the Moon.
The Tiangong space station, orbiting at an altitude of approximately 400 kilometers, has been continuously inhabited since its core module was launched in 2021. The facility now includes multiple modules for living quarters, scientific experiments, and docking ports for visiting spacecraft. The Shenzhou-21 mission will see the crew conduct a range of tasks, including spacewalks to install anti-debris shields on the station’s exterior. These shields are designed to protect Tiangong from the growing threat of space junk, a pressing concern as low-Earth orbit becomes increasingly congested with defunct satellites and debris.
In addition to maintenance and scientific work, the mission includes a “popular science education” component, intended to inspire young people and foster global interest in space exploration. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) has emphasized the role of such outreach in cultivating the next generation of scientists and engineers. The mission’s objectives also align with China’s broader goal of expanding international collaboration in space, despite its exclusion from the International Space Station (ISS).
Since 2011, the United States Congress has prohibited NASA from cooperating with China due to national security concerns, effectively barring Chinese astronauts from the ISS. In response, Beijing has pursued its own space station and sought partnerships with other nations. In February 2025, China signed an agreement with Pakistan to train and potentially send the first foreign “taikonauts” to Tiangong, signaling its intent to lead a new coalition in space exploration. This move reflects China’s strategy to build a network of international partners, contrasting with the U.S.-led Artemis program, which includes allies like Europe, Japan, and Canada.
China’s space program has achieved a series of high-profile successes in recent years, cementing its reputation as a formidable player in the global space race. In 2019, the Chang’e-4 probe achieved the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the Moon, a feat unmatched by any other nation. Two years later, in 2021, China successfully deployed the Zhurong rover on Mars, joining the United States as one of the only countries to operate a rover on the Red Planet. These accomplishments have bolstered national confidence and fueled President Xi Jinping’s vision of a “space dream,” which includes sending astronauts to the Moon before 2030 and establishing a permanent lunar base.
The CMSA announced on Thursday that it is conducting critical tests in preparation for the 2030 lunar landing mission. These tests involve advanced spacecraft, lunar landers, and life-support systems designed to sustain human presence on the Moon. The Shenzhou-21 mission, while focused on Tiangong, contributes indirectly to these efforts by testing technologies and conducting experiments that will inform future deep-space missions.
The inclusion of the four mice in the Shenzhou-21 payload highlights the mission’s scientific ambitions. The rodents will live in specialized habitats aboard Tiangong, where their behavior, physiology, and genetic responses will be monitored. Data collected from the experiment could pave the way for more complex biological studies, potentially involving larger animals or even human tissue cultures in future missions. Such research is vital for ensuring the safety and success of extended missions beyond low-Earth orbit.
As the Shenzhou-21 crew settles into their six-month stay aboard Tiangong, their work will build on the legacy of previous missions while laying the groundwork for China’s next giant leap in space. The successful docking on Saturday morning was met with applause at mission control in Beijing, where engineers and officials celebrated the precision of the automated rendezvous and docking procedure. The Long March-2F rocket, a reliable workhorse of China’s crewed space program, performed flawlessly, adding to its record of successful launches.
The mission’s emphasis on both scientific discovery and public engagement reflects China’s holistic approach to space exploration. By combining cutting-edge research with efforts to inspire youth and forge international partnerships, Beijing is positioning itself not only as a technological leader but also as a visionary force in the global space community. As the Shenzhou-21 astronauts begin their work in orbit, the world watches closely, aware that each mission brings China closer to its ambitious goals on the Moon and beyond.
