Three Chinese astronauts currently orbiting Earth will extend their space station mission by approximately one month, according to an announcement Friday from China’s state television network.
The Shenzhou-21 crew launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwestern China on October 31 aboard a Long March-2F rocket. The mission was originally scheduled to conclude around April after a standard six-month deployment.
The crew consists of Commander Zhang Lu, age 48, who previously participated in the 2022 Shenzhou-15 mission, along with Zhang Hongzhang, 39, and Wu Fei, 32. Wu Fei holds the distinction of being China’s youngest person ever launched into space.
According to China’s Manned Space Engineering Office, the astronauts have successfully accomplished multiple objectives during their time aboard the station. These achievements include mounting protective shields against space debris and conducting thorough inspections of equipment used for spacewalks, CCTV reported.
The space agency noted that all three crew members remain in excellent physical condition and continue performing their duties effectively after more than five months in orbit. They have been working alongside the station’s mechanical arm system and ground-based research teams.
“To further verify the technologies related to long-term astronaut stays in orbit … it is planned to extend the crew’s stay in orbit by approximately one month,” CCTV reported, though no specific return date was provided.
During their extended time in space, the astronauts will continue performing various scientific experiments and technology demonstrations, according to the space office.
