China Launches Shenzhou-23 Mission With Year-Long Orbit Stay Planned

China launched the Shenzhou-23 mission on Sunday from the Jiuquan launch centre, sending three astronauts to the Tiangong space station. One of the crew will stay in orbit for a full year, the first such duration for a Chinese astronaut. The mission supports Beijing’s stated goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030.

The crew includes Lai Ka-ying, 43, the first astronaut from Hong Kong to fly in space. The other two members are Zhu Yangzhu, 39, and Zhang Zhiyuan, 39, both on their first spaceflight. The astronauts will conduct experiments in life sciences, materials science, fluid physics and medicine during their stay.

A key element is the year-long stay by one crew member to examine effects of extended microgravity exposure. Officials said the astronaut selected for that role will be named later.

The Shenzhou-23 flight forms part of China’s preparations for lunar and possible Martian missions. Beijing is also developing the Mengzhou spacecraft, scheduled for an orbital test flight in 2026. China plans to begin construction of the first phase of the International Lunar Research Station by 2035.

It expects to host its first foreign astronaut, from Pakistan, on Tiangong by the end of this year.