Chinese Astronauts to be Joined by Mice for First Time | China Space Station
China's upcoming Shenzhou-21 space mission is set to feature very special passengers as the three human crew members are set to be joined on-board the space station by several mice, marking the first time the country has sent rodent mammals into space, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said on October 30, 2025.
The Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 23:44 Friday, october 31, 2025, Beijing Time from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The mission will be headed by commander Zhang Lu, who completed a six-month stint on China's Tiangong Space Station during the Shenzhou-15 mission, with flight engineer Wu Fei, and payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang each carrying out their first spaceflight missions.
Zhang Hongzhang revealed that he and Wu will not be the only debutants on-board the spacecraft with the crew set to be joined by a group of four mice that will be involved in a series of in-orbit scientific experiments.
"This will be our first time to have mice in the space station. We will conduct experiments to see if they can live normally in space, laying the groundwork for subsequent space life science experiments. The first step involving mammals is to see if we can breed and raise them in orbit, and if so, we may study their reproduction in space, enabling a wider range of research. Now we are just at the initial stage," he said.
"A previous mission has carried zebra fish to the space station, but there are significant differences between fish and mammals. At least, the fish are not that active, so there is less interaction with them. This time, being able to include mammals in the payload, I think the scientists are even more excited. They will be able to acquire some useful data," said mission commander Zhang Lu.
Zhang Hongzhang said they mission may take on a different feel for the astronauts, knowing they are also carrying other mammals with them on this space journey.
"Besides us three astronauts, there will be new small creatures to accompany us. They will experience life in the weightless environment of space together with us. It feels great, having company with some animals does add a whole new layer [to the mission]," he said.
According to the CMSA, the specially-selected "space mice", which includes two males and two females, will be transported to the space station aboard the Shenzhou-21 spaceship and raised in orbit.
They are inbred black mice that are nearly genetically and physiologically identical following more than 20 sequential generations of sibling mating, limiting the variables of the experiments to microgravity and radiation.
These carefully selected mice have gone through a series of stringent training exercises to ensure they have enough physical fitness, anti-vertigo ability, mental strength, and intelligence to make them strong enough to survive the upcoming mission.
Once returning to Earth, further scientific research will be carried out on the mice to explore the stress response and adaptive changes in their tissues and organs following their stay in the space environment, the CMSA said.
Commander & Pilot Zhang Lu (张陆)
Flight Engineer Wu Fei (武飞)
Payload Specialist Zhang Hong Zhang (张洪章)
Release Date: Oct. 30, 2025
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