Overview
- The three-member Shenzhou 21 crew landed at the Dongfeng site in Inner Mongolia on Friday, May 29, 2026, and were reported in good condition after nearly seven months aboard the Tiangong space station.
- China’s space agency said the astronauts processed and transmitted experimental data, transferred remaining supplies to the station, and completed three spacewalks during the mission.
- Zhang Lu now holds the Chinese record for most spacewalks with seven total EVA sorties after his work on Shenzhou 21 and earlier missions.
- The returning crew formally handed operations to the Shenzhou 23 team, which docked earlier this week and includes Lai Ka-ying, the first Hong Kong-born astronaut, with one member scheduled to remain about a year to study long-duration effects.
- Tiangong operations are being used to build independent long-duration flight expertise and biomedical, radiation and operational data that officials say will inform China’s push toward a crewed lunar landing by 2030.