China to launch Shenzhou-21 mission for moon mission preparations
China is launching its Shenzhou-21 mission on October 31, 2025, aiming to keep the Tiangong space station running as part of China's broader ambitions, including future moon missions.
Liftoff happens at 15:44 UTC from Jiuquan, marking another move in China's push for a steady human presence in space.
Meet the crew
Commander Zhang Lu (a Shenzhou-15 veteran) teams up with first-time astronauts Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang.
Their main job is to keep Tiangong staffed and run science experiments in microgravity—basically, figuring out how living and working in space affects people (and other living things).
Mice are going too!
Four mice are hitching a ride too! Scientists want to see how microgravity and being cooped up in space impact biology.
This adds to ongoing research aboard Tiangong, which has had people living there through regular missions.
China's moon mission
China's not stopping at low Earth orbit—its next big goal is landing astronauts on the moon by 2030.
Missions like Shenzhou-21 are part of China's ongoing human spaceflight program, which supports broader lunar ambitions.