Mice on space crew: China launches youngest astronaut on Shenzhou-21 with four small mammals; first for Tiangong

China launched its Shenzhou-21 mission, sending three astronauts, including its youngest ever, to the Tiangong space station. This marks the seventh crewed flight to the station, with the astronauts set to replace the current crew and conduct experiments with the first small mammals in orbit. The mission underscores China’s expanding space program and its growing competition with the United States.