BEIJING — China launched its Shenzhou-23 mission on May 24, sending three astronauts into orbit as Beijing presses ahead with plans to stage a year-long human stay in space and advance its long-term lunar program. The Long March 2-F rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan launch center in the Gobi Desert at 11:08 p.m., and the spacecraft separated and reached orbit about 10 minutes later, state media reported. The China Manned Space Agency said the crew were in good condition and described the launch as a complete success.
The flight includes Hong Kong’s first astronaut, 43-year-old Li Jiaying (Lai Ka-ying), a former Hong Kong police officer, alongside first-time flyer Zhang Zhiyuan, 39, a former air force pilot, and 39-year-old space engineer Zhu Yangzhu. The trio will conduct experiments across life sciences, materials science, fluid physics and medicine aboard the Tiangong space station complex.
A major objective of the mission is to prepare for an unprecedented one-year orbital stay by a future crew member, designed to probe the physiological and psychological impacts of extended microgravity exposure and to validate life-support systems needed for deep-space missions. The China Manned Space Agency said the astronaut selected for the full-year stay will be named later, depending on how Shenzhou-23 progresses.
International experts note the technical and human challenges of prolonged missions, including bone and muscle loss, radiation exposure, sleep disruption and behavioral fatigue, as well as the need for robust water and air recycling and remote medical capabilities. “A year in orbit pushes both hardware and humans into a different operational regime compared with the shorter Shenzhou missions of the programme’s earlier phases,” said Dr. Richard de Grijs, an astrophysicist at Macquarie University.
Shenzhou-23 follows earlier Tiangong crews who typically stayed about six months. The mission forms part of China’s broader effort to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030 and to develop capabilities for sustained human presence in space. Beijing plans to introduce a next-generation crew vehicle, Mengzhou, in 2026 to replace the ageing Shenzhou craft and eventually ferry astronauts to lunar missions. China also aims to establish the first phase of an International Lunar Research Station by 2035 and intends to host its first foreign astronaut from Pakistan on Tiangong by the end of 2026.
Over the past three decades China has rapidly scaled up its space program, investing billions to close the gap with the United States, Russia and Europe. Milestones include the 2019 Chang’e-4 landing on the Moon’s far side and a Mars rover touchdown in 2021. Excluded from the International Space Station program since 2011 by U.S. policy, China has pursued an independent path, building operational experience through missions such as Shenzhou-23 to support its ambitious lunar and deep-space goals.