GLOBALink | China launches Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship
Source: Xinhua
Editor: huaxia
2025-11-01 10:24:31
JIUQUAN, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- China successfully launched the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship on Friday, sending three astronauts to its orbiting space station on a six-month mission. The three astronauts have entered the country's space station and met with another astronaut trio early Saturday morning, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover.
Chinese astronauts Zhang Lu (R), Wu Fei (C) and Zhang Hongzhang attend a send-off ceremony at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 31, 2025. A send-off ceremony for the three Chinese astronauts of the Shenzhou-21 crewed space mission was held Friday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, according to the China Manned Space Agency. (Xinhua/Ma Jinrui)Chinese astronauts Zhang Lu (front), Wu Fei (R) and Zhang Hongzhang attend a send-off ceremony at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 31, 2025. A send-off ceremony for the three Chinese astronauts of the Shenzhou-21 crewed space mission was held Friday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, according to the China Manned Space Agency. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)This combo photo shows the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasting off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Oct. 31, 2025. China successfully launched the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship on Friday, sending three astronauts to its orbiting space station on a six-month mission. The spaceship blasted off at 11:44 p.m. (Beijing Time). About 10 minutes after the launch, the spaceship separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. The astronauts are in good condition, and the launch of the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship was a complete success, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). (Xinhua)This image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Nov. 1, 2025 shows the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship conducting a fast, autonomous rendezvous and docking with the front port of the space station's core module Tianhe. After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship made a fast, autonomous rendezvous and docking with the front port of the space station's core module Tianhe at 3:22 a.m. (Beijing Time). The whole process took approximately 3.5 hours, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The Shenzhou-21 mission has set a new milestone -- the fastest rendezvous and docking ever achieved in the history of Shenzhou missions. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)This image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Nov. 1, 2025 shows a group picture of the crew of Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 spaceships. The three astronauts aboard China's Shenzhou-21 spaceship have entered the country's space station and met with another astronaut trio early Saturday morning, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover. The Shenzhou-20 crew opened the hatch at 4:58 a.m. (Beijing Time) and greeted the new arrivals, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The six crew members then took group pictures for the seventh space get-together in China's aerospace history. They will live and work together for about five days to complete planned tasks and handover work, the CMSA said. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)Technical personnel monitor the rendezvous and docking of Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship with the space station at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Nov. 1, 2025. After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship made a fast, autonomous rendezvous and docking with the front port of the space station's core module Tianhe at 3:22 a.m. (Beijing Time). The whole process took approximately 3.5 hours, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The Shenzhou-21 mission has set a new milestone -- the fastest rendezvous and docking ever achieved in the history of Shenzhou missions. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
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