Shenzhou-21 Taikonauts Participate in Medical Experiments, Routine Emergency Drill
Tiangong TV: November 30th 2025.
The China Manned Space Agency has released the latest episode of its usually weekly ‘Tiangong TV’ update show, where activities of crews onboard the space station are shown to the general public. This episode is the first since Shenzhou-20’s debris strike and the launch of the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft.
Attached below is a translated transcript of the episode:
Last week, the Shenzhou-21 crew, taikonauts Zhang Lu (张陆)1, Wu Fei (武飞)2, and Zhang Hongzhang (张洪章)3, systematically advanced all in-orbit tasks as scheduled. They conducted multiple space science experiments, performed the first full-system pressure emergency drill, and completed routine equipment inspections and maintenance.
Taikonauts conducted microgravity experiments on intuitive physical behavior using laptops, collecting relevant behavioral data to explore the effects of long-duration spaceflight on intuitive physical representation and its recovery mechanisms. They also used space-time slowed-down spectroscopy to detect metabolic components in urine samples; the collected information will be used to further refine and improve the relevant characteristic metabolite indicator system and evaluation criteria.
In addition, the crew completed the installation of system software for space medicine experiments. In the field of microgravity physics, the crew carried out tasks as scheduled, including replacing the high-speed image storage unit in the two-phase system experiment cabinet and disassembling and reassembling the experiment module.
Furthermore, according to the experiment schedule, he crew cleaned and replaced samples in the unpressurized experiment bay, and carried out maintenance on the motor of the shaft mechanism and cleaning of the viewing window cover.
Last week, the Shenzhou-21 crew conducted their first full-system pressure emergency drill as scheduled. The exercise simulated the entire process of emergency response by the crew in the event of internal pressure loss on the space station, aiming to consolidate and further enhance the astronauts’ emergency handling capabilities as well as the coordination between ground and space systems.
Regarding equipment inspection and maintenance, the crew conducted routine checks on the low-tempreture storage unit and the -80 degree Celsius space refrigerator, performed pressure checks on the environmental control and life support system, and carried out maintenance on the regenerative life support system equipment.
In terms of inventory management, the crew carried out tasks such as organizing supplies and cleaning the cabin environment, continuously safeguarding the cleanliness of their space home.
Additionally, the crew underwent multiple medical examinations, including non-invasive cardiac function tests, to collect relevant data enabling ground-based researchers to closely monitor the health status of the three taikonauts during their mission.
Stay tuned for updates on the crew’s upcoming in-orbit activities. See you next week!
If there are any problems with this translation please reach out and correct me.
Tiangong TV Episode November 30th 2025 originally from the China Manned Space Agency, cloned to YouTube for archival.
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.