Shenzhou 13

Chinese spacecraft

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July 22, 2026

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The Shenzhou 13 mission was the second flight to China's Tiangong space station. Launched on October 15, 2021, the mission carried three astronauts: Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu. The crew spent 182 days in space, setting a new record for the longest Chinese spaceflight. During their mission, Zhai Zhigang and Wang Yaping performed two spacewalks, with Wang Yaping becoming the first Chinese woman to conduct a spacewalk. The Shenzhou 13 mission concluded with a successful return to Earth on April 16, 2022. The Shenzhou spacecraft, similar in design to the Russian Soyuz, is China's crewed spacecraft program, with its first crewed flight, Shenzhou 5, launching in 2003.12

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Zhai Zhigang
…to space, as commander of Shenzhou 13, on October 15, 2021, with Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu. Shenzhou 13 was the second flight to the Tiangong space station, and Zhai and his fellow crew members spent 182 days in space, a record for the longest Chinese spaceflight. He performed two…
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…to space, as commander of Shenzhou 13, on October 15, 2021, with Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu. Shenzhou 13 was the second flight to the Tiangong space station, and Zhai and his fellow crew members spent 182 days in space, a record for the longest Chinese spaceflight. He performed two…
Read More