Shenzhou-21 Crew Launch on Long March 2F Y21 Rocket | China Space Station

Shenzhou-21 Crew Launch on Long March 2F Y21 Rocket | China Space Station

And they are off! 🚀The Shenzhou-21 crew spacecraft, powered by their Long March 2F Y21 rocket, was successfully launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) in northwest China on Friday, October 31, 2025, at 23:44 Friday (Beijing Time), carrying three astronauts. It will be a fast journey. The crew is expected to dock with the China Space Station in just 3.5 hours.

China's Shenzhou-21 spaceflight crew consists of three types of astronauts, namely a spacecraft pilot, flight engineer, and payload specialist.

The three crew members, including mission commander Zhang Lu and debutants Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang, have all expressed confidence in completing their mission aboard the China Space Station.

The trio will complete an in-orbit rotation with the outgoing Shenzhou-20 crew and stay on board the space station for around six months.

They are set to undertake a series of key scientific experiments during their mission, which will also see them witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-10 cargo craft and later welcome the Shenzhou-22 crewed spacecraft to take over duties onboard the space station.

Shenzhou-21 is the 37th flight mission of China's human spaceflight program and the sixth crewed mission during the application and development stage of the Tiangong Space Station.

Shenzhou-21 Crew
Commander & Pilot Zhang Lu (张陆)
Flight Engineer Wu Fei (武飞) 
Payload Specialist Zhang Hong Zhang (张洪章)

Image Credit: CNSA/CMSA
Release Dates: Oct. 30-31, 2025

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