Senior Colonel Zhang Lu, a distinguished astronaut and commander of the upcoming Shenzhou XXI mission, has been selected to lead China’s latest space endeavor to the Tiangong space station. The 49-year-old native of Hunan province, who joined the PLA Air Force in 1996, brings a wealth of experience to this critical mission. Zhang, who holds a master’s degree, began his career as an elite fighter jet pilot before being chosen as one of the seven second-generation astronauts in May 2010. His previous spaceflight experience includes the six-month Shenzhou XV mission, which commenced in November 2022. For his exceptional performance during that mission, Zhang was awarded the honorary title of ‘Heroic Astronaut’ and a Third-grade Space Service Medal. Currently, he serves as a first-grade astronaut in the PLA Astronaut Division. The Shenzhou XXI mission, set to launch on Friday, marks another significant milestone in China’s ambitious space exploration program, which includes plans for a manned moon landing by 2030.