Shenzhou-21 Crew Surpasses Five Months in Orbit, Space Station Experiments Progress
Summary: The China Manned Space Engineering Office released the latest Tiangong TV video on April 5, 2026.
Credit: China Manned Space Engineering Office The Shenzhou-21 crew members Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang have been in orbit for over five months since arriving at the China Space Station, with all tasks progressing steadily. The crew has completed space medicine experiments including trust and coordination mechanisms and human-spacecraft trust research, conducted space brain network time-varying characteristics experiments, and performed maintenance on combustion science, fluid physics, and containerless material processing experiment racks.
Sources (original pages)
- Shenzhou-21 Crew Five Months in Orbit, Space Station Tasks Progress Steadily - CCTV
- Shenzhou-21 Astronauts Work Over Five Months in Orbit, Multiple Space Station Experiments and Station Management Progress Steadily - Sina Tech
- China Manned Space Engineering Official Website
This report is based on official information released by the China Manned Space Engineering Office on April 5, 2026.
Space Medicine Experiment Progress
In the field of space medicine experiments, the Shenzhou-21 crew used laptop computers and related experiment software to complete several important experiments:
- Trust and Coordination Mechanisms Experiment: Research on trust establishment and collaborative work effectiveness between astronauts under long-term space flight conditions
- Human-Spacecraft Trust Experiment: Exploring the interaction trust relationship between astronauts and space station automation systems
- Space Brain Network Time-Varying Characteristics Experiment: Using near-infrared brain functional imaging equipment to conduct research on the impact of long-term space flight environments on astronaut brain functional networks
Microgravity Physical Science Experiments
In the field of microgravity physical science, the crew completed maintenance work on multiple experiment racks according to the experiment plan:
- Combustion Science Experiment Rack: Replaced experiment plug igniters and sampling covers
- Fluid Physics Experiment Rack: Replaced experiment samples
- Containerless Material Processing Rack: Cleaned experiment chamber samples and maintained axis mechanism electrodes
Station Management and Health Support
In terms of station management, the crew completed the following tasks as planned:
- Environmental Monitoring: Temperature measurement, wind speed measurement, and dew point testing
- Material Organization: Regular cleaning and station equipment inspection and maintenance
In terms of health maintenance and support, the three astronauts completed multiple medical examinations:
- 12-lead electrocardiogram examination
- Non-invasive cardiac function examination
- Dynamic electrocardiogram and blood pressure monitoring
- Physical health status monitoring and data acquisition using traditional Chinese medicine four-diagnostic instruments
- Active in-orbit exercise
Background Information
The Shenzhou-21 manned spacecraft launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on October 30, 2025, with three astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang boarding the China Space Station. This is Zhang Lu's second flight mission, having previously executed the Shenzhou-15 mission. Both Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang are on their first flight mission.
Currently, the astronauts are in good physical and mental condition, and all tasks at the space station are progressing steadily. According to the plan, the crew will conduct extravehicular activities during the flight mission and continue to carry out related scientific experiments and technical tests.