Chinese authorities announced on Thursday that the crew for China’s next manned space station flight will include the nation’s youngest astronaut alongside four laboratory mice. This monumental Shenzhou-21 mission highlights Beijing’s accelerated space program, which purposefully continues challenging the capabilities of both the United States and Russia.
Teams of three astronauts crew the Tiangong space station, exchanging personnel efficiently every six months, solidifying its position as the crown jewel of China’s massive space program.
Consequently, Beijing has poured billions of dollars into its space endeavors in a concentrated effort to quickly catch up with global leaders.
The Shenzhou-21 mission will launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 11:44 pm on Friday (1544 GMT), according to China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) spokesperson Zhang Jingbo.
Flight engineer Wu Fei, who recently celebrated his 32nd birthday, officially becomes the youngest Chinese astronaut ever to undertake this demanding mission in space. Feeling “incomparably lucky,” Fei shared his gratitude with reporters on Thursday, saying he happily integrated his personal dreams into this glorious national journey.
Veteran space pilot Zhang Lu, 48, will consequently command the crew, having previously participated in the successful Shenzhou-15 mission only two years ago. Payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang, 39, skillfully makes up the crucial third member of this ambitious three-person crew.
The Unexpected Passengers: Four Rodents Join the Mission
Also, along for this significant voyage are four mice, specifically two male and two female, which will serve as the subjects for groundbreaking in-orbit rodent experiments. This makes them critical test subjects for the CMSA, the spokesperson Zhang added, as they represent a major milestone in China’s burgeoning bioscience research capabilities.
Commander Zhang Lu confidently stated that his experienced team would “report back to our motherland and its people with complete success,” signaling high expectations for the entire duration of the flight.
Accelerating China’s Lunar Dream
Beijing’s space program, now only the third to successfully place humans in orbit, also successfully landed robotic rovers on both Mars and the Moon, demonstrating significant technological progress. China has consistently ramped up its comprehensive plans to finally achieve the national “space dream” under the decisive leadership of President Xi Jinping.
Furthermore, Beijing aims to deploy a fully crewed mission to the Moon by 2030, where the nation intends to construct a permanent base on the lunar surface. The CMSA confirmed on Thursday they were “holding firm” to that ambitious goal and subsequently outlined a series of “crucial upcoming tests” designed to prepare its Lanyue lunar lander and Mengzhou manned spacecraft.
