2026 Human Spaceflight Missions to Proceed as Planned Following 'Emergency Response' Mission
The China Manned Space Agency still plans to launch six people to Tiangong and four spacecraft next year.
With the recent ‘emergency response’ launch and docking of the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft, originally set to fly in April 2026, there has been chatter about the possible effects on China’s human spaceflight missions next year. On November 26th, the China Manned Space Agency indirectly confirmed there are minimal effects on 2026 missions.
In a notice titled ‘Announcement Regarding Adjustments to the Content and Submission Period for the 2026 Manned Spaceflight Mission Logo Design Competition’ (关于调整2026年度载人航天飞行任务标识征集内容及征集时间的公告), updates were provided to the Shenzhou-23 and Shenzhou-24 missions. Those updates note, in an attached document, that both missions will occur in 2026, carrying three spacefarers, with Shenzhou-23 docking to the Tiangong Space Station’s Tianhe module’s Earth-facing docking port (expected in April 2026), and Shenzhou-24 docking to its forward-facing port (expected in October 2026). The tasks of the two missions are stated to be:
“One taikonaut from the Shenzhou-23 flight crew will conduct a long-term stay experiment of more than 1 year; implement extravehicular activities and cargo airlock module exit missions; continue to carry out space science experiments and technology tests; conduct space station platform management work, taikonaut support-related work, and important activities such as science education.”
If there are any problems with this translation please reach out and correct me.
Details for the Shenzhou-23 mission are identical to those for Shenzhou-22 before its spacecraft had to fly to Tiangong uncrewed and earlier than initially planned. The Shenzhou-23 mission is now flying the first year-long taikonaut stay to the space station, meaning Shenzhou-24 is now carrying a Pakistani visitor for a short stay.
Before the Shenzhou-23 and Shenzhou-24 missions can fly, they will need to be delivered to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center earlier to restore the ability to perform a ‘launch-on-need’ response like Shenzhou-22 did. At the moment, there is no Shenzhou spacecraft or Long March 2F/G launch vehicle at Jiuquan to perform that task if required, usually being delivered about two months before to maintain readiness. As such, the two Shenzhou spacecraft set to fly next year, along with their launch vehicles, are set to be delivered early1.
The Menghzou-1 and Tianzhou-10 missions were also included in the November 26th notice, but no changes to their mission details were made compared to the original notice released at the start of the month. Mengzhou-1 is still expected to fly in the second half of 2026 atop of a Long March 10A.
With the details shared, it can be safely concluded that the four missions for the China Manned Space Agency in 2026 will proceed as previously planned, albeit with a plus one for the Shenzhou mission numbers.
Upgraded Shenzhou’s
Starting with the Shenzhou-22 mission, China’s Shenzhou spacecraft have been refined and upgraded as part of a new production batch for 2026 and 2027 missions. Those upgrades are focused on crew comfort, cargo capacity, and reliability, with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation’s Diao Weihe (刁伟鹤) telling CGTN:
“Key improvements include upgraded instrumentation for easier and more accessible astronaut operations. Additionally, the spacecraft’s [return to Earth] payload capacity has been significantly increased through optimized internal layout and miniaturization of instrument panels. Furthermore, selected components have been refined to strengthen our reliabilities in critical space technologies.”
The Shenzhou-21 taikonauts of Commander Zhang Lu (张陆)2, Flight Engineer Wu Fei (武飞)3, and Payload Expert Zhang Hongzhang (张洪章)4 were trained to use the new control schemes despite being originally assigned to an ‘older’ spacecraft variant. Additional training will be performed in orbit too.
Shenzhou-23 would have been delivered about two months before the Shenzhou-22 mission’s original launch date, with Shenzhou-24 doing the same for Shenzhou-23.
Zhang Lu is the Commander and Pilot of the mission for his second spaceflight, having flown for the Shenzhou-15 mission between November 2022 and June 2023. He is from Hanshou County (汉寿县), Hunan (湖南) province, and was selected as part of China’s second taikonaut group in 2010, also being considered a ‘post-70s’ taikonaut having been born in November 1976.
Before becoming a taikonaut, Zhang served in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force and achieved the rank of Senior Colonel. He also joined the Communist Party of China in April 1999. After the Shenzhou-15 mission, Zhang was awarded the Spaceflight Merit Medal (Third Class) along with the honorary title of hero taikonaut.
Wu Fei is the Flight Engineer for this mission, which will be his first trip into space. He is from Baotou (包头市 / ᠪᠤᠭᠤᠲᠤᠬᠣᠲᠠ), in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (内蒙古自治区 / ᠥᠪᠥᠷ ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯ ᠤᠨ ᠤᠨᠥᠪᠡᠷᠲᠡᠭᠨ ᠵᠠᠰᠠᠬᠤ ᠣᠷᠣᠨ), and was selected as part of the third taikonaut group in October 2020, while being considered a ‘post-90s’ taikonaut having been born in 1993.
Before his selection as a taikonaut, Wu was an engineer at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. He also joined the Communist Party of China in 2015.
Zhang Hongzhang is the Payload Expert for this mission, with it being his first trip to space. He is from Binzhou (滨州市), Shandong (山东) province, and was also selected as part of the third taikonaut group in October 2020, while being considered a ‘post-80s’ taikonaut having been born in 1986.
Prior to being selected as a taikonaut, Zhang was a researcher at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院大连化学物理研究所), where he explored new materials and technology for batteries. He also joined the Communist Party of China in 2004.
Really intresting how the Shenzhou upgrades focus on practical things like crew comfort and cargo capasity. The emergency response launch of Shenzhou-22 was impresive but I wonder how the accelerated timeline impacted testing protocols? The fact that they can still maintain the 2026 schedule with minimal disruption says alot about their mission planning flexibility.