The Shenzhou-23 manned mission launches from the Jiuquan Satellite tv for pc Launch Heart in Jiuquan, northwestern China on Sunday, Might 24, 2026.
Ng Han Guan/AP
cover caption
toggle caption
Ng Han Guan/AP
JIUQUAN, China — China launched the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft Sunday evening with three astronauts heading to its house station, together with one set to remain in house for a 12 months.
The spacecraft blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite tv for pc Launch Heart in northwestern China. The much-anticipated launch comes as China prepares for its first crewed lunar touchdown by 2030.
The astronauts on the mission are Zhu Yangzhu, the commander, Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying, additionally recognized by Chinese language authorities as Li Jiaying utilizing the Mandarin transliteration of her title.
Lai, who was born and raised in Hong Kong and has a doctoral diploma in laptop forensics, is the primary astronaut from town on an area mission.
The crew is about to conduct dozens of science and utility initiatives, state media stated. They’re additionally anticipated to finish an in-orbit rotation with the crew of Shenzhou 21, who has been on the Tiangong house station for greater than 200 days.
One of many three astronauts on the Shenzhou 23 mission is scheduled to remain on the orbiting house station for a 12 months in what can be among the many world’s longest single stays in house. The astronaut’s mission is to “explore human adaptability and performance limits” in long-duration spaceflight environments, state media reported.
As China steps up its house program, its astronauts have carried out a number of missions to the Tiangong house station, developed after China was successfully excluded from the Worldwide House Station on U.S. considerations over nationwide safety.
The U.S. is seen as China’s high house rival, with NASA aiming to land astronauts on the lunar floor in 2028.
China’s house station Tiangong, which interprets to “Heavenly Palace,” first hosted the nation’s crew in 2021. Final 12 months, an emergency mission within the Shenzhou program, which implies “Divine Vessel,” returned a group of astronauts stranded on the house station attributable to a broken spacecraft.
