China's Shenzhou-21 Sets National Space Docking Speed Record with Six-Month Tiangong Mission

China's Shenzhou-21 spacecraft set a new national record by docking with the Tiangong space station in just 3.5 hours, nearly halving the previous record, demonstrating rapid advancements in China's spaceflight technology. The crew of three astronauts, led by veteran Zhang Lu and including the youngest Chinese astronaut Wu Fei, will conduct 27 scientific experiments over six months covering biotechnology, aerospace medicine, materials science, and other fields. Notably, this mission includes the first-ever deployment of four specially trained mice to the station to study the effects of microgravity on small mammals, aiding future space breeding and monitoring technologies. The handover with the outgoing Shenzhou-20 crew ensures continuity of operations, reflecting China's growing capabilities in sustaining long-term human presence in orbit. These achievements form part of China's broader ambitions, including plans to expand the Tiangong station and its goal of a manned lunar mission by 2030. The mission underscores China's increasing prominence in space exploration and scientific research in low Earth orbit.