China launches Shenzhou-23 mission: Astronaut sets national record with year-long stay in space
China has launched its most ambitious crewed spaceflight yet, sending three astronauts to the Tiangong space station—including one who will remain in orbit for a full year, a national record. The Shenzhou-23 mission lifted off aboard a Long March 2-F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China at 12:00 local time (04:00 GMT) on Sunday, as confirmed by state media and international observers .
The crew—comprising commander Zhang Lu, pilot Wu Fei, and mission specialist Zhang Hongzhang—will relieve the current Tiangong team and conduct experiments critical to China’s lunar ambitions. Zhang Hongzhang, a 42-year-old former fighter pilot, will break China’s previous 183-day orbital record, spending 365 days aboard the station to test long-duration human endurance in microgravity . His stay marks a key milestone in Beijing’s plan to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030, a goal reiterated by officials ahead of the launch .
Notably, this mission includes China’s first astronaut from Hong Kong—though sources differ on whether the individual is among the current crew or a future rotation . The Shenzhou-23 spacecraft docked with Tiangong’s Tianhe core module six hours after launch, where the team will oversee station maintenance, scientific research, and preparations for the arrival of new modules later this year .
China’s space program has accelerated under President Xi Jinping, with Tiangong—completed in 2022—serving as a testbed for deep-space missions. The year-long stay aligns with NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon by 2026, intensifying the U.S.-China space race. Beijing has also announced plans to expand Tiangong with a fourth module by 2027, further cementing its role as a permanent orbital outpost .
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