On Sunday, China successfully launched the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft, carrying three astronauts to its space station. The launch took place from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China. According to Li Benqi, an official at the center, the launch was “a complete success,” as stated in video remarks broadcast by Chinese state media.
The Shenzhou 23 mission is noteworthy, as one crew member is expected to stay in space for a year. This would rank among the longest single stays in space globally. The mission also marks an important step as China gears up for its first crewed lunar landing set for 2030.
The astronauts on board the Shenzhou 23 include Zhu Yangzhu as the commander, along with Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying. Lai, who has a doctoral degree in computer forensics and is originally from Hong Kong, is the first astronaut from Hong Kong on a space mission. She is also the fourth female astronaut from China to travel to space, as reported by Chinese state media.
The mission’s crew is scheduled to conduct numerous science and application projects. They will also perform an in-orbit rotation with the crew of Shenzhou 21, who have been at the Tiangong space station for over 200 days. The crew of Shenzhou 21, which launched in late October, included China’s youngest astronaut and four mice, marking the first live mammals aboard since the start of Beijing’s space program.
One astronaut from the Shenzhou 23 crew will spend a year on the space station. The goal is to study human adaptability and performance limits in long-term spaceflight, according to reports by state media.
China’s growing space efforts have frequently been highlighted, especially since U.S. concerns over national security led to China’s exclusion from the International Space Station. With plans to land astronauts on the moon in 2028, the U.S. continues to be seen as China’s primary rival in space exploration.
The Tiangong space station, translating to “Heavenly Palace,” first accommodated Chinese astronauts in 2021. A previous emergency mission in the Shenzhou series safely returned a crew after their spacecraft was deemed unsafe. The mission concluded when a replacement Shenzhou 21 spacecraft arrived to bring them back to Earth.