Shenzhou

Mission Profile

Shenzhou is China's primary crewed spacecraft, a three-module vehicle consisting of a descent module, an orbital module, and a service/propulsion module, broadly similar in concept to the Russian Soyuz but larger and with Chinese-designed systems. First launched unmanned on 19 November 1999, it carried China's first taikonaut Yang Liwei into orbit on 15 October 2003, making China the third country to independently achieve human spaceflight. Shenzhou has since evolved through multiple variants, with the current Shenzhou serving as the crew transport vehicle for the Tiangong Space Station. The spacecraft can carry up to three crew members and typically performs a six-month rotation mission docked to Tiangong.