China successfully launched the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship on Friday, October 31, sending three astronauts along with four mice on a historic six-month mission to the Tiangong space station.
The mission sets a new record being the fastest-ever orbital docking and conducting the country's first mammalian reproduction experiments in space.
The Long March-2F rocket carries astronauts named Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang. The crew blasted off from the Jiuqian Satellite Launch Center at 11:44 p.m. (Beijing Time).
Within 10 minutes, the spacecraft reached its designated orbit.
The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) confirmed that the launch was a complete success and declared that the crew is in a “good condition.”
This marks a significant technical achievement for China as the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft autonomously docked with the Tianhe core module just 3.5 hours after launch, heaving the time of the previous Shenzhou-20 mission.
Li Zhe, an expert from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, stated, “This breakthrough improves the in-flight experience for astronauts and enhances response capabilities.”
Another prominent aspect of the mission is the inclusion of four “mice astronauts” including two male and two female, who will be raised in orbit for five to seven days.
In this first country’s scientific experiment involving mammalians in space, the effect of microgravity on the small mammals’ behaviour and psychology will be studied.
Previously, China conducted experiments with zebra fish and fruit flies in space.
An expert from Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) noted that “The findings will be critical to assessing the feasibility of long-term human survival and reproduction in space.”
A special facility has been designed for rodents that maintains an Earth-like circadian rhythm and uses directional airflow for waste management.
After completing the experiment, the mice will be sent back to Earth onboarding the Shenzhou-20 spaceship for further analysis.
During six months, Shenzhou-21 crew will conduct 27 new in-orbit experiments, extravehicular activities, and the installation of space debris protection devices further enhancing China’s capabilities in manned spaceflight.