China Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationLong March 2F/GLaunch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Shenzhou 21
Launched
October 31, 2025 · 15:44 UTC
Image: Xinhua
Summary
Shenzhou 21 launched on a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 2F/G from Launch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China on October 31, 2025 at 15:44 UTC. The launch window ran from 15:34 to 16:14 UTC. It was China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 551st launch, 50th this year and humanity's 7,101st orbital launch attempt. It was the 19th Long March 2F/G flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Shenzhou 21, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 390 × 399 km orbit inclined 41.5°. 3 crew members flew: Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang. The spacecraft was Shenzhou 21 (21). 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- Vehicle
- Long March 2F/G · China Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationShenzhou, Tiangong space station
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Human Exploration · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)for CNSA
- Milestone
- 19th Long March 2F/G flight · 2nd this yearChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's 551st launch50th this yearhumanity's 7,101st orbital launch attempt252nd orbital launch attempt this year
Launch crew
Zhang LuCommander · CNSA · age 48 · 2nd flight
Wu FeiOperator · CNSA · age 32 · first flight
Zhang HongzhangOperator · CNSA · age 39 · first flight
Landing crew
Chen DongCommander · CNSA
Chen ZhongruiOperator · CNSA
Wang JieOperator · CNSA
Spacecraft
Shenzhou 21 (21)
Spacecraft used to launch 3 astronauts on the 10th crewed mission to the Chinese Space Station.
- Destination: Tiangong space station
- Mission length: 13 days
- Docked October 31, 2025 at Tianhe forward
The Shenzhou 21 spacecraft landed at the Donfgeng landing site in Inner Mongolia, China.
Webcast
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Shenzhou 21 · NORAD 66263 · 2025-246 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- SZ-21
- Object ID
- 2025-246A
- Epoch
- 2025-11-01 15:55:49 UTC
- Mean motion
- 15.60184648 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.00067877
- Inclination
- 41.4666°
- Ascending node
- 266.1848°
- Arg. of perigee
- 305.6533°
- Mean anomaly
- 54.3673°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 25759
- B*
- 0.00038071807
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO.
Catalogued objects
3 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage, 1 component; 1 still in orbit
- Shenzhou 21 · NORAD 66263 · docked October 31, 2025
CZ-2F Y21 Stage 2 · re-entered November 12, 2025
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Tenth crewed flight to the Chinese space station.
Pad
Launch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
26th launch from Launch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921), 2nd this year · 262nd from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Local pad time at liftoff: Oct 31, 11:44 PM GMT+8, at night
29 launches from this pad · 299 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
190 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of ChinaOpen in maps
Updates
Launch success.
Show 6 earlier updates
Liftoff.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/31/2025 · source
Official Webcast by CGTN has started
LL2 · 10/31/2025 · source
Tweaked T-0.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/31/2025 · source
Official Webcast by CGTN has started
LL2 · 10/31/2025 · source
NET October 31 per NOTAMs.
Cosmic_Penguin · 10/20/2025 · source
Added launch.
Cosmic_Penguin · 3/22/2025 · source
Questions
When did Shenzhou 21 launch?
Shenzhou 21 launched on October 31, 2025 at 15:44 UTC. The launch window ran from 15:34 to 16:14 UTC.
Where can I watch Shenzhou 21?
Coverage: Live: Special coverage of China's Shenzhou-21 crewed spacecraft launch; LIVE: Launch of China's Shenzhou-21 Manned Spacecraft. Watch the replay
What rocket launched Shenzhou 21?
Long March 2F/G, flown by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Long March 2F/G spec sheet
Where did Shenzhou 21 launch from?
Launch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921), Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China. Liftoff was Oct 31, 11:44 PM GMT+8 local time at the pad.
What orbit did Shenzhou 21 reach?
Shenzhou 21, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 390 × 399 km orbit inclined 41.5°.
Which program is Shenzhou 21 part of?
Shenzhou and Tiangong space station. About Shenzhou