Three Chinese astronauts docked with the Tiangong space station early Saturday after a record-breaking three-and-a-half-hour journey that brought the nation’s youngest ever spacefarer and four laboratory mice to the orbital facility.
The Shenzhou-21 spacecraft lifted off at 11:44 p.m. Beijing time Friday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China aboard a Long March-2F rocket, with docking occurring at 3:35 a.m. Saturday. The 3.5-hour rapid rendezvous and docking marked a significant improvement over previous missions since Shenzhou-12, which took 6.5 hours, and earlier missions that required about two days.
Mission commander Zhang Lu, 48, leads the crew alongside flight engineer Wu Fei, 32, and payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang, 39. Wu becomes China’s youngest astronaut corps member to undertake a spaceflight mission, telling reporters he felt extremely fortunate to embark on his mission during an era seeing leapfrog development in China’s aerospace industry.
The three astronauts bid farewell to families and colleagues at the Gobi Desert launch base, waving as a military band played patriotic music. Zhang Lu, who previously served on the Shenzhou-15 mission, promised reporters the crew would report back with complete success. Both Wu and Zhang Hongzhang make their first trips to space on this mission, having been selected in 2020 as part of China’s third batch of astronauts.
Four mice, two male and two female, accompanied the crew as subjects for China’s first in-orbit experiments on rodent mammals. The mice underwent more than 60 days of rigorous training in physical fitness and cognitive ability before selection. The rodents are expected to stay five to seven days aboard the station before returning to Earth with the Shenzhou-20 crew on November 3.
Scientists plan to examine how space conditions such as microgravity and enclosed environments affect animal behavior, with further research after the mice return exploring stress response and adaptive changes in multiple tissues and organs. The experiments represent expanding ambitions for biological research aboard China’s orbital laboratory.
The crew will conduct 27 new scientific and application projects during their approximately six-month stay, focusing on space life science and biotechnology, aerospace medicine, space materials science, microgravity fluid physics and combustion, and new space technologies. Among the groundbreaking research is a study on amino acid homochirality, exploring whether life’s preference for left-handed amino acids relates to Earth’s gravitational conditions.
Beyond scientific work, the astronauts will perform spacewalks and install anti-debris shields on Tiangong’s exterior to protect the facility from space junk. The China Manned Space Agency noted the mission includes a popular science education component aimed at inspiring young people and expanding international collaboration.
Zhang Hongzhang, a former researcher focusing on new energy and new materials before becoming an astronaut, said the team would turn the space station into a “utopia” by doing tai-chi, gardening and appreciating poetry during their orbital stay. Such activities reflect efforts to maintain psychological wellbeing during extended missions.
The Shenzhou-21 launch marks the sixth crewed spaceflight during the application and development phase of China’s space station program and the 37th flight of the country’s crewed space program overall. The current Shenzhou-20 crew will hand over control and return to Earth on November 3 after their own six-month mission.
Tiangong, meaning “Heavenly Palace,” represents the crown jewel of China’s space program, into which Beijing has poured billions of dollars seeking to rival the United States and Russia in space exploration. The three-module station, completed in October 2022, orbits at an altitude between 340 and 450 kilometers and houses rotating three-person crews every six months.
China announced Thursday it is conducting astronaut selection in cooperation with Pakistan, with one Pakistani astronaut expected to join a short-term mission in the near future as a payload specialist. The partnership symbolizes Beijing’s growing ambition to lead international space cooperation after being barred from the International Space Station.
The United States Congress banned NASA from cooperating with China in 2011 due to national security concerns, preventing Chinese participation in the ISS. In response, China has built partnerships with other nations while developing its independent space capabilities at remarkable speed.
China’s space program celebrated major milestones including the Chang’e-4 probe landing on the far side of the Moon in 2019 and successful deployment of a Mars rover in 2021. The nation became only the third in history to send humans into orbit, following the Soviet Union and United States, when it launched its first crewed mission in 2003.
Zhang Jingbo, a China Manned Space Agency spokesperson, told reporters at a pre-launch conference that research and development work is progressing smoothly for plans to send an astronaut to the Moon, stating that China’s fixed goal of landing a person on the moon by 2030 is firm. The country ultimately aims to establish a lunar base.
President Xi Jinping has called space exploration central to China’s “space dream,” positioning the program as both a source of national pride and a hallmark of technological advancement. The rapid progress over the past two decades reflects substantial government investment and prioritization of aerospace capabilities.
The improved docking time results from advances in orbit design, sensor accuracy, and docking mechanism reliability, with rapid rendezvous and docking having become mature technology previously validated through multiple cargo missions. Experts note the shortened flight time reduces astronaut fatigue, allowing crews to begin space tasks in better physical condition.
Zhang Lu’s role as space pilot means he handles spacecraft navigation and control systems, while Wu Fei as flight engineer maintains technical systems and equipment. Zhang Hongzhang serves as payload specialist, focusing on scientific experiments and specialized equipment operation. This role division reflects standard practice in long-duration space missions.
The crew represents three different generations, with Zhang Lu from the 1970s, Zhang Hongzhang from the 1980s, and Wu Fei born in 1993. This generational diversity brings varied perspectives and experiences to the mission while demonstrating China’s expanding astronaut corps depth.
Tiangong continues China’s uninterrupted human presence in space, with crews rotating every six months to maintain continuous operations. The station supports diverse research impossible or impractical in Earth’s gravity, from materials science to biological experiments like the current mouse study.
The anti-debris shields the crew will install address growing concerns about space junk threatening orbital facilities. Thousands of debris pieces from defunct satellites, rocket stages and collision fragments orbit Earth at speeds capable of catastrophic damage upon impact with operating spacecraft.
China’s investment in space infrastructure, human spaceflight capabilities, and scientific research positions the nation as a major player competing with established spacefaring powers. The program’s momentum shows no signs of slowing, with ambitious plans extending through the current decade and beyond.
The mice experiments open new frontiers for biological research aboard Tiangong, following patterns established on other space stations where animal studies have provided insights into how space conditions affect living organisms. Results could inform approaches to longer-duration human missions, including eventual lunar bases.
Wu Fei’s youth highlights China’s success in developing new generations of astronauts with technical expertise in modern aerospace systems. His background as an engineer at the China Academy of Space Technology, which built Tiangong’s modules, provides practical understanding of the station’s systems and capabilities.
As the Shenzhou-21 crew settles into their six-month orbital stay, they join a select group of humans who have called space home. Their work aboard Tiangong will contribute to scientific knowledge while advancing China’s capabilities for more ambitious missions ahead, including the planned 2030 lunar landing that represents the next major milestone in the nation’s space dream.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
