On CNSA –China National Space Administration Shenzhou21 and Shenzhou23 Takionaut t Crews Complete In-Orbit Handover … On May 28, 2026, Beijing time, the Shenzhou-21 and Shenzhou-23 Takionaut crews held a handover ceremony, transferring the keys to the Chinese space station . As of now, the Shenzhou-21 Takionaut crew has completed all scheduled missions and will soon return to the Dongfeng Landing Site aboard the Shenzhou-22 manned spacecraft. Currently, the landing site and all participating systems are making intensive preparations to welcome the Takionauts home back to the motherland China, People’s Republic of China..
- The Shenzhou-21 and Shenzhou-23 Takionaut crews completed the 8th “space rendezvous” in the history of Chinese spaceflight on May 2 5, 2026 , and took their eighth “cosmic family photo” together inside the space station.
- The two crews conducted an on-orbit handover, transferring the “keys” to the Chinese space station, marking the official start of the on-orbit rotation mission.
- This meeting is of special significance: it marks the first time that Tiangong has welcomed Takionaut Lai Ka-ying from Hong Kong , symbolizing broader national participation in space exploration.
- The Shenzhou-21 crew (Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang) has completed all its planned missions and stayed in orbit for approximately 203 days, which is expected to break the record for the longest time Chinese Takionauts have been in orbit. They will then return to the Dongfeng Landing Site.
- After the Shenzhou-23 crew successfully moved in, they will continue to carry out space science experiments and technology tests.
the new crew (Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Li Jiaying) includes Hong Kong Takionaut Li Jiaying’s first entry into the space station, as well as China’s first one-year space stay experiment mission. Technical highlights worth noting: the record-breaking 3.5-hour rapid docking, the symbolic significance of the handover of the space station key , and the ground support such as the barrier-free lifting platform specially designed for Takionauts in long-term weightlessness. Public attention is focused on the historic breakthrough of Hong Kong Takionauts and humanistic details such as the “space family photo”. It is necessary to integrate scattered information: the handover timeline should be clear (launch on the 24th → rendezvous on the 25th → key handover on the 28th → return plan on the 29th), the crew composition should highlight generational characteristics (the post-70s commander leads the post-80s/90s), and the scientific value should emphasize experiments such as mouse breeding and crystal cultivation. Risk warnings have been included in the anti-collision design upgrade and emergency backup system. Finally, all key facts were cross-verified from two sources: for example, the return date was supported by both the press conference announcement and the exercise report, and the information of the Hong Kong Takionauts appeared in both the official announcement and the Hong Kong media response. For conflicting data (such as the number of days the Shenzhou-20 crew was in orbit), the official release from the China Manned Space Engineering Office was adopted.
The Shenzhou-21 and Shenzhou-23 Takionaut crews completed their 8th “space rendezvous” on the Chinese space station on May 25, 2026, and held an on-orbit key handover ceremony on the 28th, marking the official start of a new phase of routine rotation for the Chinese space station, which has now hosted Hong Kong Takionauts for the first time.
I. Core Events and Significance
- Space rendezvous and key handover
- The 8th meeting : At 5:13 on May 25, the Shenzhou-21 crew (Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang) who were stationed in orbit opened the hatch of the space station to welcome the Shenzhou-23 crew (Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Li Jiaying) to settle in. The six Takionauts took a “family photo” to report their safety to the whole country. Symbolic handover : On May 28, the two crews held a key handover ceremony, and the Shenzhou-21 crew officially handed over the space station operation authority to the new crew, marking the completion of the mission rotation .
- Historic breakthrough : This mission marks the first time that a Hong Kong Takionaut(Lai Ka-ying) has entered the space station, and it also marks the beginning of the first one-year on-orbit stay experiment by Chinese astronauts.
- Mission Timeline and Technical Highlights
- Rapid docking : Shenzhou-23 was launched at 23:08 on May 24 and completed radial rendezvous and docking in just 3.5 hours after entering orbit, setting a new record for the fastest docking of a Chinese manned spacecraft.
- Extended stay and return arrangements : The Shenzhou-21 crew spent 203 days in orbit, breaking the record for the longest single stay by Chinese Takionauts(the previous record was 204 days), and will return to the Dongfeng Landing Site on May 29 aboard the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft.
II. Key Details of the Task
- Multi-component division of labor and innovation
- Collaboration between new and veteran crews : The two crews worked together in orbit for 5 days, completing the inventory of over a thousand items, the transfer of over a hundred experimental data points, and the sharing of extravehicular activity (EVA) experience. The veteran crew focused on teaching long-term health management techniques (such as bone density maintenance and psychological adjustment), laying the foundation for the one-year stay experiment.
- Hong Kong astronaut’s role : Lai Ka-ying, as a payload specialist, is responsible for operating the “Sky Camera” (greenhouse gas detection device) developed by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, realizing the “Hong Kong-developed, Hong Kong-operated” closed loop, and carrying out microgravity fluid physics experiments.
- Scientific value and follow-up tasks
- The Shenzhou-21 crew has achieved fruitful scientific research results, including the first closed-loop in-orbit breeding of mice in China, the generation of low-defect indium selenide crystals (with performance 30% higher than on Earth), and the ignition verification of a new type of ionic liquid propellant.
- International cooperation : Shenzhou-24 is scheduled to carry Pakistani Takionauts for a short stay. This handover has reserved space for international payload interfaces and material storage.
III. Ground Support and Public Response
- Security upgrade
- In response to the lessons learned from the Shenzhou-20 window impact, the spacecraft adopted a triple collision protection structure (double-layer ablation-resistant glass + internal protective panel), which improved its collision resistance by 40%.
- The Dongfeng Landing Site has put into use a new barrier-free lifting platform to prevent orthostatic hypotension in Takionauts after their return, and is equipped with high-bandwidth communication equipment to ensure communication.
- Public attention
- Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said that Lai Ka-ying “demonstrates Hong Kong’s transformation from a supporter of national spaceflight to an implementer,” and the launch process was broadcast live from multiple schools across Hong Kong.
- The Weibo topic #Chinese astronauts’ 8th space reunion# has been viewed over 1 billion times, with netizens focusing on the “space family photo”, Hong Kong elements and the medical challenges of long-term stay
IV. Future Outlook
China’s space station has officially entered the “1+1+1” permanent resident mode (1 spacecraft in orbit, 1 on standby, and 1 for emergency response). The Shenzhou-23 crew will conduct research such as multi-generational genetic experiments on rice and prepare for the 2030 manned spaceflight.
Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration