Shenzhou-21 Astronauts Carrying out Planned Tasks in Orbit | China Space Station
Members of China's Shenzhou-21 space crew are in good condition and are carrying out their tasks as planned, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said, adding that the damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft will remain in orbit to continue its assigned experiments.
The three Shenzhou-21 astronauts boarded China's Tiangong Space Station and rendezvoused with the Shenzhou-20 crew early on the morning of November 1, 2025, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover. The Shenzhou-20 crew opened the hatch at 04:58 (Beijing Time) and greeted the new arrivals, according to the CMSA.
The six crew members then took group pictures to commemorate the seventh in-orbit astronaut "meet-up" in China's aerospace history.
The return of China's Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft, originally scheduled for November 5, was postponed due to the suspected impact of tiny space debris on the craft, according to the CMSA.
In response, emergency protocols were immediately activated, and a comprehensive simulation analysis, testing and safety assessment of the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft were conducted to determine the safest course for the astronauts' return.
Following the review, the CMSA announced that the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft no longer meets the stringent safety standards required for re-entry. As a result, it will remain in orbit to continue its experiments.
The three astronauts from the Shenzhou-20 mission landed safely back on Earth aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft on November 14, marking the first successful implementation of an alternative return procedure in the country's space station program history.
Due to the postponed return of the Shenzhou-20 crew, both crew members were in orbit together for two weeks, during which the six astronauts collaborated on various tasks.
"After the handover ceremony, our crews began their respective tasks. The Shenzhou-21 crew members mainly focused on established platform maintenance experiments, as well as preparations for significant missions, which outline their objectives. And the Shenzhou-20 crew members primarily focused on work related to preparations before their return . . . since the return spacecraft had changed. So they mainly focused on their respective tasks. Of course, when communication was needed, they gathered for discussions during their breaks and then shared meals together. This meant they spent more time together," said Zhang Jianli, associate researcher with the China Astronaut Research and Training Center.
After the Shenzhou-20 crew departed from the space station, the three Shenzhou-21 astronauts continued with their assigned tasks.
"After the departure of the Shenzhou-20 crew, they needed to resume work, and organize supplies. Because the important work for our astronauts currently in orbit is also sorting and organizing. After that, the main focus will be on the pre-determined in-orbit experimental projects," Zhang said.
During their stay in orbit, the Shenzhou-21 crew members are scheduled to carry out a total of 27 new in-orbit experiments, including in space life sciences and biotechnology, space medicine, space material science, microgravity fluid physics and combustion, and new space technologies.
The Shenzhou-21 crew have been carrying out scientific experiments involving mice during their stay on China's space station, the first time China has conducted experiments involving rodents in space.
The in-orbit study will focus on examining the effects of space conditions, such as microgravity and enclosed space, on the behavior of these animals.
Four of the mice returned to Earth with the Shenzhou-20 crew on November 14, bringing back highly valuable experimental data after two weeks in orbit.
Shenzhou-21 Crew
Zhang Lu (张陆) - Commander & Pilot - 2nd spaceflight
Wu Fei (武飞) Flight Engineer - 1st spaceflight
Zhang Hong Zhang (张洪章) - Payload Specialist - 1st spaceflight
Duration: 1 minute, 25 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 26, 2025
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