Shenzhou-21 astronauts board spaceship ahead of launch

The three astronauts of the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceflight mission have boarded the spacecraft which is scheduled to blast off from northwest China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 23:44 Friday (Beijing Time).

The three crew members, including experienced mission commander Zhang Lu and his crew mates Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang, who are each embarking on their first spaceflight mission, climbed aboard the spaceship with the help of technicians.

Following the launch, the astronauts will complete an in-orbit rotation with the outgoing Shenzhou-20 crew and stay on board the Tiangong space station for about six months.

During their mission, the Shenzhou-21 crew will undertake more than two dozen space science research and technology experiments.

The trio of astronauts are also notably being joined in space by a group of four mice which will be involved in a series of in-orbit scientific experiments, marking the first time China has sent rodents on a manned space mission.

The crew will also perform extravehicular activities (EVAs) and cargo handling, install space debris protection devices, and deploy and recover extravehicular payloads and equipment.

They will also participate in various science education and public welfare activities while in orbit.

The Shenzhou-21 crew will also witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft and later welcome the crew of the Shenzhou-22 crewed spaceship, who will take over duties aboard the spade station. Shenzhou-21 is the 37th flight mission of China's manned space program and the sixth manned mission during the application and development stage of the Tiangong space station.

Shenzhou-21 astronauts board spaceship ahead of launch

Shenzhou-21 astronauts board spaceship ahead of launch

Shenzhou-21 astronauts board spaceship ahead of launch

Shenzhou-21 astronauts board spaceship ahead of launch

China's two major power grid operators -- the State Grid Corporation of China (State Grid) and China Southern Power Grid (CSG) -- reported a surge in investment in the first quarter of 2026, underscoring efforts to strengthen infrastructure construction and support high-quality socioeconomic development in China.

The State Grid said it completed fixed-asset investment worth 129 billion yuan (about 18.77 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three months of this year, up 37 percent the corresponding period of the previous year. The spending has driven more than 250 billion yuan (36 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across the wider industrial chain.

Key projects such as the Panxi ultra-high-voltage (UHV) alternating current (AC) line and the Anhui-Hubei back-to-back direct current (DC) project have seen ground broken for their construction, while several west-to-east power transmission projects have been upgraded.

Investment in connecting renewable energy generation to the grid was reported to have exceeded 10 billion yuan (1.45 billion U.S. dollars) from January to March, a year-on-year rise of more than 50 percent.

The CSG also reported robust growth in investment in the three-month period, with fixed-asset investment reaching 38.45 billion yuan (5.58 billion U.S. dollars), up about 50 percent from a year earlier.

Among its achievements, the company completed and commissioned 80 key projects, including the 220 kV cross-sea power grid interconnection project, which was officially put into operation on March 20. The project ended years of grid isolation on the Weizhou Island in south China by linking it to the main power system of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The construction of 17 other major energy projects, including one linking the power grid of the Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China with that of Guangdong Province in south China, is advancing rapidly. These projects are expected to bolster regional industries, the maritime economy, digital collaboration and the transition to green energy.

"By accelerating major project construction, investment during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) is expected to approach 1 trillion yuan (145 billion U.S. dollars), driving a further 2 trillion yuan (290 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across upstream and downstream industries," said Dong Yanle, deputy general manager of the Engineering Construction Department under the China Southern Power Grid.

China ramps up power grid investment in January-March to boost growth