Shenzhou 20
Mission type | Tiangong space station crew transport |
---|---|
Operator | China Manned Space Agency |
Mission duration | 19 days, 5 hours and 30 minutes (in progress) 180 days (planned) |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | Shenzhou |
Manufacturer | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation |
Crew | |
Crew size | 3 |
Members | Chen Dong Chen Zhongrui Wang Jie[1] |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 24 April 2025, 09:17 UTC |
Rocket | Long March 2F |
Launch site | Jiuquan, LA-4/SLS |
Contractor | China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology |
End of mission | |
Landing date | November 2025 (planned) |
Landing site | Inner Mongolia, China |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
Regime | Low Earth orbit |
Inclination | 41.5° |
Docking with Tiangong space station | |
Docking port | Tianhe nadir |
Docking date | 24 April 2025, 15:49 UTC |
Undocking date | November 2025 (planned) |
Time docked | 18 days, 22 hours and 58 minutes (in progress) |
![]() Mission patch |
Shenzhou 20 (Chinese: 神舟二十号; pinyin: Shénzhōu èrshí-hào; lit. 'Divine Boat Number 20') is a Chinese spaceflight to the Tiangong space station launched on 24 April 2025.[2] It carries three taikonauts on board a Shenzhou spacecraft. The mission is the 15th crewed Chinese spaceflight and the 20th flight overall of the Shenzhou program.
Background
[edit]Shenzhou 20 was launched on 24 April 2025, prior to the end of the previous mission, Shenzhou 19. It is the ninth flight to the Tiangong space station, and is expected to last approximately six months. It will depart following the arrival of the Shenzhou 21 crew in late 2025.
Mission
[edit]The mission was launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on board a Long March 2F rocket. The Shenzhou spacecraft docked with the nadir docking port on the Tianhe core module of the station, where the crew entered to take over operations from the departing crew of Shenzhou 19.
The Tianzhou 9 cargo ship is also expected to arrive during the mission.[3]
Crew
[edit]Position | Crew member | |
---|---|---|
Commander | ![]() Third spaceflight | |
Operator | ![]() First spaceflight | |
Flight Engineer | ![]() First spaceflight |
The identities of the crew members for this mission were revealed on 23 April 2025 local time.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "China unveils Shenzhou-20 crew for space station mission". Xinhuanet. 22 April 2025. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
- ^ "Long March 2F/G | Shenzhou 20". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
- ^ https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1304623-china-set-for-shenzhou-20-spaceflight-launch-today