Overview
Shenzhou ("Divine Vessel") is China's crewed spacecraft, used to transport taikonauts to the Tiangong space station. Derived from the Russian Soyuz design, Shenzhou is larger and features a more capable orbital module that can operate independently. Shenzhou 5 (October 2003) made Yang Liwei the first Chinese astronaut and China the third nation (after Russia and the US) to independently launch humans to orbit.
China maintains a permanent three-person crew aboard Tiangong with biannual rotations. Each Shenzhou mission launches on a Long March 2F rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert.
Key Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | CAST (China Academy of Space Technology) |
| Crew | 3 |
| Diameter | 2.80 m (descent module) |
| Length | 9.25 m |
| Mass | 7,840 kg |
| Launch Vehicle | Long March 2F |
| Launch Site | Jiuquan SLC |
| Abort System | Launch Escape Tower |
| Landing | Parachute + retro-rockets, land landing (Inner Mongolia) |
| Reusability | No — expendable |
Three-Module Design
Like Soyuz, Shenzhou consists of three modules: an orbital module (which can be left in orbit as a small lab), a re-entry capsule and a service module with solar panels. The orbital module is larger than Soyuz's, giving Shenzhou greater internal volume and the ability to function as a small laboratory.
Crewed Mission History
| Mission | Date | Crew | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shenzhou 5 | Oct 2003 | Yang Liwei | First Chinese crewed spaceflight |
| Shenzhou 6 | Oct 2005 | Fei Junlong, Nie Haisheng | First multi-crew Chinese mission |
| Shenzhou 7 | Sep 2008 | Zhai Zhigang +2 | First Chinese EVA |
| Shenzhou 9 | Jun 2012 | Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang, Liu Yang | First Chinese woman in space; Tiangong-1 docking |
| Shenzhou 11 | Oct 2016 | Jing Haipeng, Chen Dong | 33-day Tiangong-2 mission |
| Shenzhou 12 | Jun 2021 | Nie Haisheng +2 | First CSS/Tiangong crew |
| Shenzhou 13 | Oct 2021 | Zhai Zhigang +2 | 183-day mission — Chinese duration record |
| Shenzhou 14–19 | 2022–2025 | 3 crew each | Regular CSS rotation missions |
Which spacecraft for your mission?
Pick a mission profile and we'll rank the world's crewed and cargo spacecraft by suitability — capability, flight heritage, reusability and fit. A live calculation across our spacecraft catalogue, not a static list.
Anatomy & mission profile
- Crew3 max
- Pressurised vol7 m³
- Mass7,840 kg
- Launch vehicleLong March 2F
- Abort systemEscape tower (puller)
- LandingParachute + retro ground landing
Pressurised volume to scale
Approximate pressurised volume — a sense of how roomy each vehicle is for crew or cargo.
Shenzhou vs every crew & cargo spacecraft
| Spacecraft | Type | Crew | Cargo kg | Vol m³ | Reuse | Debut | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 Shenzhou you are here | Crew capsule | 3 | — | 7 | No | 2003 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Crew Dragon | Crew capsule | 7 | — | 9.3 | ♻︎ Yes | 2020 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Cargo Dragon | Cargo spacecraft | — | 6,000 | 9.3 | ♻︎ Yes | 2020 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Dragon | Crew + cargo family | 7 | 6,000 | 9.3 | ♻︎ Yes | 2010 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Orion | Deep-space crew capsule | 4 | — | 19.6 | No | 2022 | Pre-operational |
| 🇺🇸 Starliner | Crew capsule | 7 | — | 11 | ♻︎ Yes | 2019 | Under review |
| 🇷🇺 Soyuz MS | Crew capsule | 3 | — | 7.5 | No | 1967 | Operational |
| 🇷🇺 Progress | Cargo spacecraft | — | 2,400 | 7.6 | No | 1978 | Operational |
| 🇨🇳 Tianzhou | Cargo spacecraft | — | 6,700 | 18.1 | No | 2017 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Cygnus | Cargo spacecraft | — | 3,750 | 27 | No | 2013 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Dream Chaser | Cargo spaceplane | — | 5,500 | 16 | ♻︎ Yes | Planned | In development |
| 🇺🇸 Starship HLS | Crewed lunar lander | 4 | 100,000 | 100 | ♻︎ Yes | Planned | In development |
| 🇯🇵 HTV-X | Cargo spacecraft | — | 5,850 | 30 | No | Planned | In development |
Tap any column to sort · crew = maximum seats, cargo = pressurised + unpressurised upmass · figures are best estimates as of 2026.
Track Shenzhou across Orbital Radar
Frequently Asked Questions
Over 15 total, including uncrewed test flights and crewed missions from Shenzhou 5 (2003) through Shenzhou 19+ for regular Tiangong crew rotations.
Yes. Shenzhou's design is derived from the Soyuz spacecraft, though it is larger and features a more capable orbital module. China purchased Soyuz technology from Russia in the 1990s and developed Shenzhou independently.
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert, China's oldest and most active spaceport.