China just launched its youngest astronaut — and four black mice — into orbit. Sounds like the start of a sci-fi movie, right? But it’s real.
On Friday, the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft blasted off atop a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.
It marked another bold leap in the country’s space ambitions.
The three-member crew will spend six months aboard Tiangong — the “Heavenly Palace” space station.
They will take over from the outgoing Shenzhou-20 team. Leading the mission is veteran commander Zhang Lu.
China’s Next Space Milestone
He is joined by first-timers Zhang Hongzhang, 39, and Wu Fei, 32 — now officially China’s youngest astronaut in space.
And those mice? They’re not just along for the ride.
The furry pioneers will help scientists study how mammals reproduce in low-Earth orbit — a key step toward sustaining life beyond our planet.
China’s space program is moving fast. In just a few years, it’s gone from assembling its first space station to sending up astronauts born in the 1990s.
It even plans to host its first foreign astronaut, from Pakistan, next year.
As Beijing reaches for the stars, Washington is watching closely.
The new space race isn’t just about reaching the moon first — it’s about who leads humanity’s next giant leap.
