On CNSA –China National Space Administration神舟二十一号Shenzhou-21 Crew on Shenzhou22 Manned Command module Spacecraft Takionaut crew Embark on Homecoming Journey Soon…At 14:44 Beijing time on May 29, 2026, the Shenzhou21 Takionaut Crew onboard Shenzhou-22 manned spacecraft successfully separated from the space station module.
Before separation, the Shenzhou-21 crew, with the cooperation of ground personnel, completed various pre-separation tasks, including setting up the space station module’s status, processing and transmitting experimental data, and clearing and transferring orbital supplies. They also completed a handover and exchange of on-orbit work experience with the Shenzhou-23 crew.
Subsequently, the Shenzhou-22 manned spacecraft’s return capsule will re-enter the space station underground control at an opportune time, and Takionauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang, who were on a mission to the Chinese space station, will soon embark on their journey home .
The Shenzhou-21 Takionaut crew (commander Zhang Lu, Takionauts Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang) has completed all their missions in orbit and will return to the Dongfeng Landing Site aboard the Shenzhou-22 manned spacecraft at dusk today (May 29, 2026), ending their record-breaking nearly seven-month stay in space
[Coming Back Soon! What Will Shenzhou21 Takionauts Eat Their First Meal Back On Earth ]
The Shenzhou-21 crew is about to embark on their return journey, landing at the Dongfeng Landing Site. Why was the Dongfeng Landing Site chosen for the Shenzhou spacecraft’s return? What will their first meal be? Welcoming Shenzhou21 Takionauts Home
The Dongfeng Landing Site is close to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, allowing for rapid deployment of search and rescue teams; it is also far from the living area, located in the Gobi Desert of Inner Mongolia, sparsely populated, so the spacecraft’s return won’t disturb the neighbors.
When the Shenzhou-20 crew returned, they enjoyed braised beef noodles with fried eggs, mutton soup, steamed buns, twisted rolls, millet porridge, cucumber salad, pickled vegetables, and fruit. The principle for the first meal back home is light, soft, easily digestible, and nutritious, but most importantly—it must taste like home. The ground support team will prepare the home-cooked meals they’ve been longing for…..
I. Returning Key Task Information
- Time and place
- Return time : Expected between 19:49 and 20:21 today (May 29), with landing at dusk. Subsequent search and rescue, medical monitoring and support work will be carried out at night.
- Landing site : Dongfeng Landing Site in Inner Mongolia has completed its final comprehensive system drill and is equipped with facilities such as drone lighting and barrier-free lifting platforms to cope with nighttime search and rescue in complex terrain.
- The reason for using Shenzhou-22
instead of the original Shenzhou-21 spacecraft for the return journey stems from a space emergency in November 2025 : the Shenzhou-20 return capsule’s porthole was damaged by space debris, causing a crack. The original crew was reassigned to Shenzhou-21 for the return. Shenzhou-22, as an emergency spacecraft, was launched and docked ahead of schedule and is now serving as the return vehicle. This adjustment demonstrates China’s rapid response and redundancy backup capabilities in the space industry…
II. Crew Achievements and Breakthroughs in Orbit
- Breaking two Chinese space records
- Duration of stay : Since entering the space station on October 31, 2025, the crew has accumulated nearly 210 days in orbit, making it the Takionaut crew with the longest stay in a single mission in China.
- Extravehicular activity : Commander Zhang Lu has completed 7 extravehicular activities, setting a new personal record for Chinese Takionauts; 32-year-old Wu Fei became the youngest Takionaut in China to perform extravehicular activities.
- Scientific Experiment Milestones
- Life Sciences : For the first time in China, mice were successfully kept in orbit in a closed space and cherry tomatoes and wheat were cultivated using aerosols, accumulating data for long-term life support in space.
- Materials Science : Successfully cultivated low-defect indium selenide crystals, which can be applied to high-performance electronic devices; completed in-orbit ignition test of a novel ionic liquid propellant.
III. Ground Support and Technological Innovation
- Landing site upgrade
- All-terrain search and rescue : In response to complex terrains such as the Gobi Desert and other deserts, the search and rescue team built its own training ground to simulate extreme road conditions such as washboard roads and soft sand areas to ensure that “the person is safely landed in the
- Enhanced medical monitoring and insurance coverage : A dedicated barrier-free lifting platform has been set up to prevent Takionauts from developing orthostatic hypotension due to prolonged weightlessness.
- The breakthrough in return technology is
the first to adopt a 3-lap autonomous rapid return scheme , which takes only 5.5 hours in total, nearly 3 hours shorter than the previous 5-lap scheme, and achieves real-time deviation correction and high-precision landing.
IV. The “Baton Transfer” in Space and a New Stage in China’s Space Program
On May 28, the crew and Shenzhou-23 (including Hong Kong’s first Takionaut, Lai Ka-ying) completed the key handover ceremony to the space station. The Shenzhou-21 mission marked the official start of China’s space station’s long-term, routine deployment phase
- Shenzhou-23 will then conduct a one-year on-orbit stay experiment, ushering in the era of “one year in space”.
- The rolling backup spacecraft mechanism, all-terrain rapid search and rescue capabilities, and multi-type Takionaut collaboration modes have laid the foundation for manned lunar landings and other deep space explorations.
The triumphant return of the three Takionauts not only broke history but also, with their “exceptionally hardworking and exceptionally capable” spaceflight spirit, wrote a pivotal chapter in China’s manned space program.
Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration