The windows were constructed of a new material that was designed to stay clear even after reentry to allow an astronaut to confirm that the parachutes have deployed properly.

It flew with the ability for manual control and emergency landing, systems needed for a crewed flight.

The launch of Shenzhou 4 was watched by officials including Chairman of the National People's Congress Li Peng; Vice Premier and member of the Politburo Standing Committee Wu Bangguo; Jia Qinglin, also a member of the Standing Committee; Cao Gangchuan, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission; Song Jian, vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; and Li Jinai, head of the General Armament Department of the People's Liberation Army.

The 52 experiments onboard investigated areas in physics, biology, medicine, earth observation, material science, and astronomy.

As with previous flights, the command for reentry to begin was given by a tracking ship off the coast of South Africa.