Beijing, China - Aug 5, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Shenzhou-21 crew walking to stage, waving hand, saluting
2. Various of reporters
3. Various of Shenzhou-21 crew meeting press, host speaking 
4. Various of reporters 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The three astronauts from China's Shenzhou-21 crewed mission met the press in Beijing on Wednesday, their first public appearance after returning to Earth in late May this year. 
 
Zhang Lu, commander of the mission, and crew members Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang appeared in good spirits as they recounted their record-breaking mission to reporters.
 
The Shenzhou-21 spaceship lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct 31, 2025. The mission set a new record for the longest single-crew mission aboard China's space station, totaling 210 days.
 
During their time aboard the China Space Station, the crew successfully carried out three extravehicular activities (EVAs), completed inspection and photographic documentation of the Shenzhou-20 return capsule's viewport window, installed space-debris protective devices on the station, and conducted multiple cargo transfer operations.
 
In close coordination with ground-based staff, they also completed multiple space science experiments and trials spanning microgravity fundamental physics, space materials science, space life sciences, aerospace medicine, and aerospace technology.
 
The mission was further marked by several unprecedented milestones in China's crewed spaceflight history. The Shenzhou-21 crew experienced firsthand the first-ever postponement of a spacecraft's return due to a space debris impact, the first instance of astronauts returning aboard a different spacecraft than the one on which they launched, and the first emergency launch of a crewed vehicle.
 
Originally, Shenzhou-21 was launched to facilitate a crew rotation with the Shenzhou-20 mission. However, the Shenzhou-20 astronauts discovered that their return capsule's viewport window had sustained damage from suspected space debris, making it unsafe for reentry.
 
On Nov 14, 2025, the Shenzhou-20 crew returned safely aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft's return capsule. On Nov 25, 2025, China launched the Shenzhou-22 spaceship to provide a return vessel for the Shenzhou-21 crew.