China’s Youngest Astronaut Joins Shenzhou-21 Crew in Successful Docking with Tiangong Space Station

China’s space ambitions reached another milestone early Saturday as a crew of three astronauts — including the youngest astronaut in the nation’s history — successfully docked with the Tiangong space station. Joining them aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft were four unlikely passengers: laboratory mice, part of a scientific experiment on life in microgravity.

According to AFP, Shenzhou-21 linked up with Tiangong at 3:22 a.m. Saturday (1922 GMT Friday), roughly three and a half hours after launching from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China aboard a Long March-2F rocket.

China’s Expanding Space Ambitions

Beijing has made no secret of its goal to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030 and to eventually build a permanent lunar base, positioning itself as a direct competitor to long-established space programs in the United States and Russia.

At the heart of this ambitious endeavour lies the Tiangong Space Station — meaning “Heavenly Palace” — the centrepiece of China’s manned space programme. The station, which hosts rotating crews of three astronauts every six months, represents billions of dollars in investment and is the product of a decade-long national effort.

Excluded from participation in the International Space Station (ISS) because of U.S. national security concerns over the Chinese programme’s links to the People’s Liberation Army, China responded by independently constructing Tiangong — a move that has solidified its status as a major global space power.

Meet the Crew

The Shenzhou-21 mission is led by Commander Zhang Lu, a veteran astronaut who previously served on a mission two years ago. Joining him are first-time astronauts Zhang Hongzhang and Wu Fei, the latter aged just 32, making him China’s youngest-ever astronaut to venture into space.

Why the Mice Are on Board

Accompanying the human crew are four laboratory mice, chosen from a pool of 300 candidates after a rigorous 60-day selection and training process, according to Xinhua. The animals form part of an experiment designed to study how weightlessness and long-term confinement affect biological and behavioural patterns — data crucial for future deep-space missions.

The astronauts will also conduct 27 scientific experiments during their stay, spanning biotechnology, space medicine, and materials science.

A Renewed Space Race

The Shenzhou-21 mission underscores China’s rapidly advancing space capabilities amid an intensifying global space race.
“Our fixed goal of China landing a person on the Moon by 2030 is firm,” said Zhang Jingbo, spokesperson for the China Manned Space Agency, as quoted by Deutsche Welle (DW).

Earlier this week, SpaceX announced a proposal to NASA outlining a simplified plan to return American astronauts to the Moon — potentially before China achieves its first crewed lunar mission.

As competition heats up between the world’s leading space powers, Tiangong continues to serve not only as a symbol of China’s technological ascent but also as a platform shaping the future of human space exploration.