JIUQUAN, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) — Chinese astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang will carry out the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceflight mission, and Zhang Lu will be the commander, the China Manned Space Agency announced at a press conference on Thursday. The Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 11:44 p.m. Friday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, said Zhang Jingbo, spokesperson of the agency.
A press conference on the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceflight mission is held in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Ma Jinrui)Chinese astronauts Zhang Lu (C), Wu Fei (R) and Zhang Hongzhang for the upcoming Shenzhou-21 spaceflight mission, meet the press in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Minggang)Chinese astronauts Zhang Lu (C), Wu Fei (R) and Zhang Hongzhang for the upcoming Shenzhou-21 spaceflight mission, meet the press in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 30, 2025. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)Chinese astronaut Zhang Lu for the upcoming Shenzhou-21 spaceflight mission meets the press in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng)Chinese astronaut Zhang Hongzhang for the upcoming Shenzhou-21 spaceflight mission meets the press in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 30, 2025. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)Chinese astronaut Wu Fei for the upcoming Shenzhou-21 spaceflight mission meets the press in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng)