China Manned Space Program (CMS)

This astronaut crossed the Kármán Line (100 km), the internationally accepted boundary of space.

Crossed Kármán Line

This astronaut has spent over a month in space.

Space Resident

Niè is a Chinese military pilot and taikonaut with the China National Space Administration. He is a veteran of two previous spaceflights and will become the first Chinese taikonaut to visit more than one space station on this mission.

Niè is a fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force. Asteroid 9517 Neihaisheng is named for him.

Shenzhou 12

The mission was China’s first crew launch since 2016 and lasted three months. At the Chinese Space Station, the three taikonauts activated systems, performed experiments, and prepared for the upcoming addition of two new science modules to the laboratory.

Shenzhou is a Soyuz-derived spacecraft built and flown by China. Larger than its Russian counterpart, Shenzhou is made up of three parts. Like Soyuz, only the reentry module with the crew survives reentry and landing.

Shenzhou

Shenzhou 10

Lasting 14 days, this was China's second and last docking to the Tiangong 1 space station. The crew performed medical experiment and technology demonstration tests. The crew also tested evacuation and redocking procedures for future Chinese space stations.

Shenzhou 6

Shenzhou 6 was the first multi-day and multi-person human spaceflight by China. The two-person crew performed a full checkout of the Shenzhou Orbital and Descent Modules, performed science experiments, and were the first Chinese taikonauts to change out of their pressure suits after launch.

Nie Haisheng

China

Shenzhou 12 - EVA 2

This astronaut has visited the Tiangong Space Station.

TSS Visitor

Shenzhou 15

China launched its 4th crewed mission to its Tiangong space station. The crew will spend six months overseeing a large expansion of Tiangong with the addition of two new science and habitation modules named Wentian and Mengtian. 

Fei Junlong

Shenzhou 7

The first three-person human spaceflight by China saw the crew perform the first Chinese spacewalk. Over three days in space, the crew conducted experiments, deployed a small satellite, and communicated to the ground through China's new data relay satellite, Tianlian I.

Liu Boming

Zhang Xiaoguang

First Chinese woman to perform a spacewalk

Shenzhou 13

The second crewed flight to the Chinese Tiangong space station. Commander Zhai Zhigang made his second flight to space while Operators officers Wang Yaping and Ye Guagfu made their second and first, respectively.

Get the Supercluster App

Donate to Support Supercluster

Fact of the Day

Want more space stories?

GET THE SUPERCLUSTER APP

THE SUPERCLUSTER PODCAST

Donate to support

The Supercluster App

Featuring our global Launch Tracker, interactive Astronaut Database, and Stations Dashboard.

Stay on top of everything leaving Earth; get mission info, countdowns, livestreams, and customized notifications that alert you when a rocket is launching or when a space station is in the skies overhead.

Download