Shenzhou-21 crew returns to Earth after handover aboard Shenzhou-22

Mission summary

The crew of Shenzhou-21 (神舟二十一号) returned safely to Earth on May 29, landing upright at the Dongfeng Landing Site (东风着陆场), CCTV reported. The three astronauts — Zhang Lu (张陆), Wu Fei (武飞) and Zhang Hongzhang (张洪章) — reportedly rode back in the Shenzhou-22 (神舟二十二号) reentry capsule, which touched down in a vertical orientation according to live footage. The China Manned Space Agency (中国载人航天办公室) confirmed that the separation of the spacecraft from the space station occurred at 14:44 Beijing time.

What they did and what it means

Before departure the crew completed station status settings, downlinked experiment data, cleared and transferred on-orbit supplies, and conducted a formal handover of duties with the Shenzhou-23 crew, it has been reported that. This flight is the sixth crewed mission in China’s space station application and development phase, and the 37th launch since the program’s inception — a steady cadence that highlights Beijing’s push to normalize long-duration operations in low Earth orbit.

Context for Western readers

Shenzhou-21 launched on October 31, 2025 aboard a Long March 2F carrier rocket (长征二号F遥二十一运载火箭), completing a mission that Chinese authorities have described as a full success. Why should foreign observers care? China’s independent human spaceflight program continues to expand operational experience even as international collaboration remains limited by U.S.-led export controls and geopolitically driven restrictions on bilateral space cooperation.

The crew

Commander Zhang Lu served as mission commander; the trio included a spacecraft pilot, a flight engineer and a payload specialist, covering China’s three active astronaut categories. With the safe return now complete, attention will turn to ongoing station experiments and the next rotations as Beijing advances toward sustained orbital presence.