Shenzhou

any of a series of Chinese spacecraft, the fifth flight of which carried the first Chinese astronaut into space. Shenzhou (Chinese for “divine craft”) is similar in design to the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. On Oct. 15, 2003, Shenzhou 5 carried the first Chinese astronaut, pilot Yang Liwei, on a 21-hour spaceflight.

Find more information on Shenzhou. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Shenzhou.