China’s Shenzhou-20 crew to test superconductors, install debris defences on space station

China has launched a three-person crew to the Tiangong space station. The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft lifted off atop a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwestern China on April 24, 2025. The crew will spend six months in orbit, doing experiments including developing artificial brain models and preparing superconducting materials.