China – Spaceflight Now

Shenzhou crew capsule brings home three Chinese astronauts

June 3, 2023 Stephen Clark

Three Chinese astronauts departed the Tiangong space station Saturday and landed in the remote Gobi Desert of northwestern China, capping a six-month expedition that included four spacewalks and a host of experiments in the microgravity environment of low Earth orbit.

Live coverage: Three Chinese astronauts return to Earth

June 3, 2023 Stephen Clark

Wrapping up a six-month mission in orbit, three Chinese astronauts departed the Tiangong space station Saturday and landed in the remote Gobi Desert of northwestern China at 6:33 p.m. EDT (2233 UTC).

Chinese astronaut launch breaks record for most people in orbit

May 30, 2023 Stephen Clark

The launch of the next crew to China’s Tiangong space station late Monday (U.S. time) added three astronauts to the population of humans in space, which reached a record number of 17 people in orbit — six Chinese citizens, five Americans, three Russians, two Saudis, and one Emirati astronaut.

Live coverage: China launches three-man crew to Tiangong space station

May 29, 2023 Stephen Clark

Three Chinese astronaut rocketed into orbit in pursuit of the Tiangong space station at 9:31 p.m. EDT Monday (0131 UTC Tuesday). The crew blasted off from the Jiuquan launch base in northwestern China on a Long March 2F rocket.

Three astronauts ready for ride to China’s space station

May 29, 2023 Stephen Clark

The next three-man crew to live on China’s Tiangong space station will launch Monday night on a Long March rocket, heading for a half-year expedition on the orbiting outpost to replace an outgoing team of astronauts set to return to Earth this weekend.

Chinese cargo ship launches to resupply space station

May 10, 2023 Stephen Clark

China’s space station received delivery of fresh supplies, experiments, and fuel after the launch of the Tianzhou 6 cargo ship Wednesday aboard a Long March 7 rocket.

Nelson cites China’s growing space prowess, calls for sustained NASA funding

May 19, 2021 William Harwood

Holding up a photo taken by China’s new Mars lander, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson warned Congress Wednesday that his agency faces increasingly stiff competition on the high frontier and that sustained funding for a new moon lander, infrastructure upgrades and other critical programs is vital for America’s space program.

Chinese Long March rocket launches oceanography satellite

May 19, 2021 Stephen Clark

A Long March 4B rocket successfully launched an oceanography satellite Wednesday from northwestern China, hours before officials at a different spaceport scrubbed the planned launch of a cargo ship to deliver supplies to the Chinese space station.

China releases first pictures from Zhurong rover since Mars landing

May 19, 2021 Stephen Clark

China’s space agency released the first pictures from the Zhurong Mars rover rover Wednesday, showing the six-wheel robot ready to drive down a ramp from its landing platform to begin exploring the Red Planet.

China lands its first probe on Mars

May 15, 2021 Stephen Clark

China’s space agency said Friday the country’s first Mars rover safely touched down and began sending data back to Earth, joining the United States as the only two nations to successfully land and operate a spacecraft on the surface of the Red Planet.