China's Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship successfully docked with the country's space station on Thursday, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

China's Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship successfully docked with the country's space station on Thursday, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

China's Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship successfully docked with the Tiangong space station on Thursday, April 24, 2025, as announced by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The mission, which launched on April 23, 2025, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, carried three astronauts: Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie, with Chen Dong serving as the commander [1].

The launch of Shenzhou-20 coincides with China's 10th Space Day, marking the anniversary of the successful launch of its first satellite, Dongfanghong-1, on April 24, 1970. The mission utilized a Long March-2F carrier rocket, which was filled with propellant and prepared for launch [1].

After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-20 spaceship successfully performed its automated rendezvous and docking with the radial port of the space station core module Tianhe, forming a combined structure of three modules and three spacecraft. The docking process took approximately 6.5 hours [1].

The crew members are expected to stay in orbit for six months, during which they will witness the arrivals of both the Tianzhou-9 cargo craft and their successors in the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship. The mission is the 35th flight of China's manned space program and the fifth crewed mission during the application and development stage of the country's space station [1].

The successful docking of Shenzhou-20 with the Tiangong space station signifies a significant milestone in China's space exploration efforts. The mission also marks the first joint space mission involving a Pakistani astronaut, selected for spaceflight training in China as part of an agreement between CMSA and Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission [2].

The crew is scheduled to return to Earth in late October 2025, with all preparations and systems operating smoothly and the space station complex functioning normally [1].

References:
[1] https://english.news.cn/20250423/ad6affb6056348b591593bf184666534/c.html
[2] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/china-to-train-two-pakistani-astronauts-to-participate-in-joint-mission-to-its-space-station/articleshow/120539490.cms