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15m ago

China Sets Shenzhou-21 Crew for Friday Tiangong Launch, Reaffirms 2030 Moon Goal, Opens Pakistani Astronaut Slot

The update signals steady progress toward a crewed lunar landing by 2030 alongside broader international participation.

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Overview

  • Shenzhou-21 is scheduled to lift off from Jiuquan at 11:44 p.m. local time on Friday with Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang bound for the Tiangong space station.
  • The crew will conduct 27 new experiments and fly four mice for China’s first in-orbit rodent studies, focusing on microgravity and confinement effects.
  • CMSA said development for the crewed lunar program is advancing, with key hardware through prototype stages and a first Long March 10 and Mengzhou spacecraft flight targeted for 2026.
  • Officials reiterated the goal to land Chinese astronauts on the Moon by 2030 while noting extensive remaining tests and technical risks.
  • China will train two Pakistani astronaut candidates, selecting one for a short-duration payload specialist mission on Tiangong, as Pakistan targets its first astronaut in 2026 and a lunar mission by 2035.