Three Chinese astronauts have safely returned to Earth after spending nearly seven months aboard the Tiangong space station. The Shenzhou 21 crew members—Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang—touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia on Friday evening, marking the end of their mission.
Mission Accomplishments
During their stay, the crew completed a range of tasks, including processing and transmitting experimental data, as well as transferring remaining supplies to the incoming Shenzhou 23 team. The China Manned Space Agency confirmed that the astronauts also conducted three spacewalk activities. Notably, Zhang Lu, who previously served on the Shenzhou 15 mission, has now completed seven spacewalks, making him the Chinese astronaut with the most extravehicular activities.
Handover and New Crew
The Shenzhou 21 crew shared their experience with the Shenzhou 23 astronauts, who arrived at the space station on Monday. One member of the new crew is scheduled to remain aboard Tiangong for a full year. The Shenzhou 23 team includes commander Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Lai Ka-ying (also known as Li Jiaying), a Hong Kong-born astronaut who is the first from the city to participate in a space mission.
China's Space Ambitions
China continues to advance its space program, with a goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030. The Tiangong space station, whose name means "Heavenly Palace," was developed after China was excluded from the International Space Station due to U.S. national security concerns. The United States, seen as China's primary space rival, aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2028.
