On December 4, 2025, China's Shenzhou-21 crew announced plans for their first extravehicular activity (EVA) from the Tiangong space station later this month. Since arriving on November 11, astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang have been busy with a packed schedule of in-orbit duties and experiments.
The trio completed a seamless handover with their predecessors from the Shenzhou-20 mission, carried out maintenance and safety checks across the station's modules, and ran daily life-support routines. They also performed a full-system emergency pressure drill, honed their skills on the station's robotic arm, and advanced over 20 experiments covering materials science, plant biology and cosmic-ray research.
Earlier this month, the crew welcomed the arrival of the uncrewed Shenzhou-22 spacecraft, organized delivered supplies and wrapped up product compatibility tests with ground teams. The Chinese mainland's manned space agency confirmed the astronauts remain in excellent health and the station is operating smoothly.
The upcoming EVA will mark a milestone for the mission, with external equipment inspections, installation of new sensors and tests of next-generation spacesuits under real orbital conditions. Mission controllers are targeting mid-December for the spacewalk, pending final weather and system checks.
This mission underscores the Chinese mainland's growing presence in low-Earth orbit and adds to an increasingly busy space landscape. For young enthusiasts and innovators worldwide, Shenzhou-21 offers a front-row seat to the future of sustainable space operations and international collaboration.
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China's Shenzhou-21 crew to conduct extra vehicular activity soon
cgtn.com
