Prime Highlights:
- Three Chinese spaceflyers flew to China’s Tiangong space station on the Shenzhou-20 mission.
- The Shenzhou-20 mission is China’s 15th crewed and 20th Shenzhou program.
Key Facts:
- The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft launched at 5:17 p.m. local time from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre.
- The mission crew consists of commander Chen Dong, fighter pilot Chen Zhongrui, and engineer Wang Jie.
Key Background:
China launched three astronauts to its Tiangong space station on the April 24, 2025, Shenzhou-20 mission on a high note. It is China’s record space program, its 15th crew mission and 20th Shenzhou program mission that started more than three decades ago. The spacecraft was carried to orbit on Long March-2F rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre and, in record near 6.5 hours, docked into the Tiangong station.
Shenzhou-20 crew consists of veteran mission commander Chen Dong, on his third flight, and two rookies: fighter pilot Chen Zhongrui and engineer Wang Jie. They are to take the place of the crew that has had 175 days in orbit. The new crew is to conduct a series of scientific experiments, spacewalks, and assist the station in its continuous upgrading throughout its six-month orbit.
This is the task that is China’s new ability of space exploration, much more so with Tiangong space station. Tiangong, in its last completion in 2022, has been China’s tallest China space mission capable of accommodating six astronauts. This is China’s portal to space, constructed although it was not included in the International Space Station. Alternatively, the mission also evidences China’s growing leadership in global collaboration in space since nations such as Pakistan have astronauts who can be sent aboard on future Shenzhou missions.
In the coming two years, China will be going to the moon with astronauts in 2030 as part of its entire space and lunar space exploration program. Shenzhou-20 mission is a historical milestone of China’s ambitious space mission and commitment towards further expansion of new frontier of space discovery and forming alliances internationally for the same.
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