The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) has confirmed that its next-generation crewed vehicle, the Mengzhou‑1, will conduct its maiden mission in 2026.

The new spacecraft marks a major advancement over the long-serving Shenzhou design, introducing a modular configuration with a separate return capsule and service module, optimised for deep-space readiness and orbital logistics.

Mengzhou‑1 will be launched aboard the Long March‑10A rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan. The mission aims to dock with the radial port of the space station’s core module, validating life‑support, guidance, control, and docking systems. Alongside system testing, Mengzhou‑1 will transport astronaut supplies, environmental monitoring instruments, and experimental payloads for science and technology demonstrations.

CMSA announced that two additional crewed missions—Shenzhou‑22 and Shenzhou‑23 will follow in 2026 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. Each mission will carry three astronauts, continuing the crew rotation programme aboard the Chinese Space Station. Notably, a Shenzhou‑22 astronaut will undertake a year-long stay in orbit, marking China’s longest continuous human spaceflight mission to date.

The upcoming Shenzhou crews will engage in multiple operational and research roles, including extravehicular activities, managing payload transfers via the cargo airlock, advancing scientific and technology experiments, and conducting tasks essential for space station maintenance and system verification. They will also participate in public education and outreach sessions from orbit.

Complementing these missions, CMSA plans to launch the Tianzhou‑10 cargo spacecraft from Wenchang later in 2026. This robotic freighter will deliver consumables, spacesuits, spare components, and propellant required for station upkeep.

It will also carry research materials and laboratory instruments supporting applied microgravity investigations. Upon mission completion, Tianzhou‑10 will deorbit, safely disposing of accumulated station waste.

Together, these missions underscore China’s push toward sustained orbital presence and its evolving roadmap for human deep-space exploration, with the Mengzhou series positioned as a cornerstone for future lunar and interplanetary crewed ventures.

Based On SD Report