China successfully carried out its latest crewed space mission on Friday night. The Shenzhou-21 spacecraft was launched at 23:44 (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the country’s northwest atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket.
Approximately ten minutes after liftoff, the spacecraft separated from the rocket and entered its planned orbit. According to the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center, Shenzhou-21 is maintaining a stable orbit with a perigee of 200 kilometres, an apogee of 363 kilometres, and an inclination of 41.5 degrees. All spacecraft systems are functioning normally, and the crew members are reported to be in good condition.
Sun Jushun, commander of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, officially declared the launch a “complete success.”
The three-member crew includes experienced mission commander Zhang Lu, alongside first-time space travellers Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang. The crew will carry out an automated rendezvous and docking with the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong space station approximately three and a half hours after launch.
Following a handover with the Shenzhou-20 crew, the Shenzhou-21 astronauts will remain in orbit for six months. During this time, they will conduct over two dozen scientific and technological experiments, including the first biological experiments involving rodents.
The astronauts will also undertake extravehicular activities (EVAs), cargo operations, and equipment maintenance, as well as install new protective systems against space debris.
In addition, the crew is expected to participate in science education and public outreach activities while in orbit.
Shenzhou-21 is the 37th mission of China’s crewed space programme and the sixth manned flight during the operational and development phase of the Tiangong space station.
According to the Beijing Flight Control Centre, this launch represents China’s next step in establishing a permanent human presence in orbit and advancing deeper space exploration.
Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $...
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled o...
Kyrgyzstan recorded the largest increase in women’s representation in parliament worldwide in 2025, accordin...
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washin...
Türkiye’s official anti-disinformation agency has issued a statement refuting what it described as onli...
Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $119 a barrel, as conflict in the Middle East rumbled on. Meanwhile, the Turkish Military said NATO air defence systems destroyed a missile fired from Iran towards the country.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Iranian civilian and military officials have pledged their obedience to the new leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying his leadership “will herald a new era of dignity and authority for the Iranian nation.”.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won," targeting his criticism at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel continues to fire missles at strategic sites in Iran and Gulf regions report more strikes from Iran.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washington and Westminster deepened over the conflict involving Iran. The call came less than a day after Trump criticised Britain’s response to U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused minor damage but no injuries, in what authorities say may have been a deliberate attack linked to the Middle East crisis.
An explosion damaged a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège early on Monday (9 March) in what authorities said was an antisemitic attack that caused damage but no injuries.
The Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers will meet on Monday to discuss a global rise in oil prices and a joint release of oil from emergency reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency, the Financial Times reports.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 9th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment