SHENZHOU-20 LAUNCH TO TIANGONG SPACE STATION, Apr 24, 2025, Jiuquan, China, 5:17 am EDT

Update, April 22:  On X, China confirms the launch date and time — April 24, 5:17 am ET (5:19 pm local time in China) — and announces the crew.

Chinese astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie will carry out the Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceflight mission, and Chen Dong will be the commander, the China Manned Space Agency announced at a press conference on Wednesday pic.twitter.com/xITgzjXQFG

— China Xinhua Sci-Tech (@XHscitech) April 23, 2025

The Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 5:17 p.m. Thursday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, according to the China Manned Space Agency on Wednesday pic.twitter.com/QCrIFpM4kF

— China Xinhua Sci-Tech (@XHscitech) April 23, 2025

Updated, April 19.

China’s state news agency Xinhua reported on April 16, 2025 that the rocket to launch the Shenzhou-20 crew to the Tiangong 3 space station has been moved to the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert. The Shenzhou-20 crew will replace Shenzhou-19, which has been on Tiangong 3 for about 6 months.

China typically does not officially reveal the launch date/time or crew until about 24 hours in advance. The first public clue is the announcement of the rocket being rolled to the pad.

Expectations are that the launch will be April 24, 2025 Beijing Time. That is not confirmed, but it’s notable that April 24 is the annual China Space Day that commemorates the launch of China’s first satellite, Dongfanghong-1, on April 24, 1970.  China’s CGTN typically provides live coverage of these launches.

Hawaii-based Space Age Publishing’s Space Calendar lists the launch window as 23:17-23:47 (11:17-11:47 pm) on April 23, Hawaii Standard Time. That would be April 24, 5:17-5:47 am Eastern Daylight Time or April 24, 5:17-5:47 pm Beijing Time.  The time zone difference between EDT and Beijing Time is 12 hours.

This year’s China Space Day, its 10th anniversary, will take place in Shanghai.

The selected poster for China space day on 24.4, to be held in Shanghai. “A bright moon rises above the sea; we grasp the stars in the heavens.” It features a Long march 5 and the Moon, forming a “10” as it’s the 10th space day, Chang’e-6, Tiangong, DFH-1, the Mengzhou crew… pic.twitter.com/i6VGDawGBH

— Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) April 17, 2025