At 11:44 p.m. Beijing Time on Friday, China’s Shenzhou-21 crewed spacecraft roared off the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwest of the Chinese mainland. On board are Chinese astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang, kicking off a mission that will see them join the Tianhe core module in record time.
According to mission plans, after entering orbit, Shenzhou-21 will execute a rapid automated rendezvous and docking sequence. In roughly 3.5 hours, it will link up with the forward port of Tianhe, forming a three-spacecraft, three-module configuration—a key milestone in assembling and operating China’s orbiting station.
This launch marks another step in the Chinese mainland’s growing presence in low Earth orbit. As the crew settles in, all eyes will be on Tianhe, where new experiments and station upgrades await the visiting astronauts.
Mission updates will follow as Shenzhou-21 continues its journey.
Reference(s):
Live: Special coverage of China's Shenzhou-21 crewed spacecraft launch
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