China’s Shenzhou-21 crew returns after record 210 days

Shenzhou-21 astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang touched down at the Dongfeng landing site Friday evening after approximately 210 days in orbit, according to Xinhua.xinhuanet
The crew’s planned six-month stay was extended after damage to the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft forced an uncrewed rescue vehicle launch in November 2025.pbs
The returning crew handed off station command to the Shenzhou-23 team, which includes Lai Ka-ying, the first astronaut from Hong Kong to reach space.space

Shenzhou-21 Crew Returns to Earth After Record 210-Day Mission

China’s Shenzhou-21 astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang safely returned to Earth on Friday after spending approximately 210 days in orbit — the longest stay by a Chinese crew aboard the Tiangong space station. The return capsule of the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia at 8:11 p.m. Beijing Time (12:11 UTC), according to the China Manned Space Agency.xinhuanet

The three astronauts undocked from the space station at 2:44 p.m. Beijing Time on Friday before beginning their descent.people

A Mission Extended by Circumstance

The Shenzhou-21 crew originally launched on October 31, 2025, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center for what was planned as a roughly six-month stay. However, their mission was extended by about a month after damage to the previously docked Shenzhou-20 spacecraft prompted China to launch the uncrewed Shenzhou-22 vehicle on November 25, 2025, to restore emergency return capability for the station’s crew.wikipedia

The Associated Press reported at the time that Shenzhou-22 was sent to “assist in retrieving a team of astronauts stranded on its space station due to a malfunctioning spacecraft.” The crew ultimately used Shenzhou-22 as their ride home rather than the vehicle they arrived in.pbs

Handover and New Records

The Shenzhou-21 crew completed a handover ceremony with the incoming Shenzhou-23 astronauts on Thursday, transferring command of the station after finishing all planned tasks. The Shenzhou-23 crew — commander Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Lai Ka-ying, the first astronaut from Hong Kong to reach space — launched on May 24 aboard a Long March 2F rocket.scio

One member of the incoming Shenzhou-23 crew is set to remain in orbit for one year, marking another first for China’s human spaceflight program.space

The safe return of the Shenzhou-21 crew closes a chapter that tested China’s ability to respond to in-flight contingencies while continuing operations aboard its permanently crewed orbital outpost.