Shenzhou 23 Launch: China Sends 3 Astronauts to Space Station, One Set for Year-Long Stay as Beijing Eyes Crewed Moon Mission by 2030

JIUQUAN, China (AP): China launched the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft Sunday night with three astronauts heading to its space station, including one set to stay in space for a year. The spacecraft blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China. The much-anticipated launch comes as China prepares for its first crewed lunar landing by 2030. The astronauts on the mission are Zhu Yangzhu, the commander, Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying, also identified by Chinese authorities as Li Jiaying using the Mandarin transliteration of her name. China and Russia Plan to Build Nuclear Power Station on Moon.

Lai, who was born and raised in Hong Kong and has a doctoral degree in computer forensics, is the first astronaut from the city on a space mission. The crew is set to conduct dozens of science and application projects, state media said. They are also expected to complete an in-orbit rotation with the crew of Shenzhou 21, who has been at the Tiangong space station for more than 200 days. One of the three astronauts on the Shenzhou 23 mission is scheduled to stay at the orbiting space station for a year in what would be among the world's longest single stays in space. The astronaut's mission is to "explore human adaptability and performance limits" in long-duration spaceflight environments, state media reported. China’s Chang’e-6 Takes Off After Collecting First Samples From Far Side of Moon.

As China steps up its space program, its astronauts have carried out multiple missions to the Tiangong space station, developed after China was effectively excluded from the International Space Station on U.S. concerns over national security. The U.S. is seen as China's top space rival, with NASA aiming to land astronauts on the lunar surface in 2028. China's space station Tiangong, which translates to "Heavenly Palace," first hosted the country's crew in 2021. Last year, an emergency mission in the Shenzhou program, which means "Divine Vessel," returned a team of astronauts stranded on the space station due to a damaged spacecraft.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 25, 2026 07:37 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).