🚀 Long March 2F | 🛰 Shenzhou 20
Launch date: April 24, 2025 09:17 UTC
Payload: Shenzhou 20
Location: Site 901, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, China
Vehicle: Long March 2F
On April 24, 2025, China launched its crewed Shenzhou 20 spacecraft aboard a Long March 2F rocket from Site 901 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. The mission carries commander Chen Dong (on his third spaceflight), along with rookie astronauts Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, to the Tiangong space station, where they will spend six months conducting scientific research, technology demonstrations, and station management. Shenzhou 20, the ninth crewed trip to Tiangong and the sixth since station completion in 2022, will relieve the Shenzhou 19 team and continue the permanent occupation of China’s orbital outpost. The crew is expected to dock with the station approximately 6.5 hours after launch and may collaborate with international partners in the future, highlighting China’s growing ambitions in human spaceflight and expanding global outreach.
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Launch Area 4, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China
Launch Area 4 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, notably including Pad 921, is the only launch complex in China certified for crewed missions and the starting point for all Shenzhou human spaceflight launches. Operated by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), this site has played a central role in the Chinese human space program since 1999, facilitating launches of Shenzhou spacecraft as well as important uncrewed missions.
Site 921 comprises two launch pads: 921/1 (used for human spaceflight with the Long March 2F) and 921/2 (primarily for Long March 4C launches). The area has witnessed all significant milestones in China’s crewed spaceflight history, including the first Chinese astronaut, Yang Liwei’s launch in 2003, and subsequent Tiangong missions. Its strategic location in northwestern China and comprehensive facilities make it a cornerstone of China’s ambitions in space exploration.