China’s Shenzhou‑21 crew returns safely after record 210 days in orbit

The return capsule of the Shenzhou‑22 spacecraft touched down at the Dongfeng landing site in in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, at 8:11 p.m. Beijing time. Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang emerged safely less than an hour later, with the China Manned Space Agency confirming all three are in good health.

Zhang Lu, mission commander, completed seven spacewalks, the most ever by a Chinese astronaut. He carried back a symbolic apple as a tribute to China’s science and technology workers.

Wu Fei, the youngest Chinese astronaut to perform extravehicular activities, carried out three spacewalks during his maiden mission.

Zhang Hongzhang oversaw numerous scientific experiments, including projects he co‑designed.

The crew conducted diverse experiments in microgravity physics, space materials, life sciences, and aerospace medicine. Highlights include closed‑environment breeding of mice, laying groundwork for future mammal studies in orbit. growth of indium selenide crystals, later used to build high‑performance transistor prototypes, non‑contact monitoring of astronauts’ health via facial micro‑movement recognition, successful cultivation of cherry tomatoes and wheat using aeroponics and in‑orbit ignition of a new ionic liquid propellant.

The Shenzhou‑21 mission launched on October 31, 2025, originally to rotate with the Shenzhou‑20 crew. Due to damage from suspected space debris, Shenzhou‑20’s return capsule was deemed unsafe, and its crew returned aboard Shenzhou‑21 instead. Shenzhou‑22 was later launched as a backup return vessel for the Shenzhou‑21 astronauts.