China's space program achieved another milestone on Friday, November 14, 2025, as the Shenzhou-21 orbital capsule successfully separated from its return module carrying three Shenzhou-20 astronauts. The China Manned Space Agency confirmed the operation marks a critical phase in current crew retrieval efforts and extended orbital experiments.
This year's mission demonstrates significant progress in China's crewed spaceflight capabilities, particularly in module coordination and long-duration mission management. The separation occurred during the spacecraft's final orbits before the return capsule's planned re-entry, with the orbital module continuing independent operations to test next-generation life support systems.
Space analysts highlight this achievement as crucial for China's ambitions to complete the Tiangong space station expansion by late 2026. The successful separation follows recent collaborations with APEC member space agencies, including technology-sharing agreements signed earlier this month.
