China to send youngest astronaut and lab mice to space

The three-member crew will be led by veteran astronaut Zhang Lu, who previously served as a member of the Shenzhou-15 crew more than two years ago. Joining him are payload specialist Zhang Hongzhang and flight engineer Wu Fei, who, at 32 years old, will become China’s youngest astronaut to embark on a space mission. The crew will conduct experiments and perform maintenance aboard Tiangong, China’s permanently crewed space station.

China’s first in-orbit rodent experiment

Alongside the human crew, four laboratory mice —two male and two female —will be transported to Tiangong for biological research. These experiments represent China’s first rodent-based studies in orbit, aimed at enhancing understanding of biological adaptation to space environments and supporting future long-duration missions.

Advancing China’s ‘space dream’

The Tiangong space station stands as the centrepiece of China’s space ambitions, with rotating crews of three astronauts conducting missions every six months. The CMSA reaffirmed its commitment to sending astronauts to the Moon by 2030, where China aims to establish a permanent lunar base. Preparations are ongoing, including tests of the Lanyue lunar lander and the Mengzhou manned spacecraft.