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last mo.

Shenzhou-23 Docks with Tiangong, Kicks Off China’s Year‑Long Spaceflight Test

The three‑person crew has begun more than 100 experiments as officials say the mission will test long‑duration life support and inform China’s push toward crewed lunar missions.

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Los astronautas Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan y Lai Ka-ying, la primera astronauta de Hong Kong, hacen un gesto mientras asisten a una conferencia de prensa antes de la misión espacial Shenzhou-23 a la estación espacial china Tiangong, en el Centro de Lanzamiento de Satélites de Jiuquan, cerca de Jiuquan, provincia de Gansu, China, el 23 de mayo de 2026. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

Overview

  • Chinese state agencies reported that Shenzhou-23 launched from Jiuquan on Sunday and docked with the Tiangong station in the early hours of Monday, with all three astronauts reported in good health.
  • The crew is led by commander Zhu Yangzhu and includes Zhang Zhiyuan and Li Jiaying, who is the first person from Hong Kong to fly as part of China’s crewed space program.
  • CMSA officials say one crew member will remain in orbit for up to a year as an operational test, but they will decide which astronaut stays later based on how the mission unfolds.
  • The mission carries more than 100 scientific and technology projects, including life‑science work with zebrafish and mouse embryos and stem‑cell–derived structures, which have drawn international attention and ethical scrutiny.
  • Authorities and analysts frame the flight as a systems and human‑factors step toward a crewed lunar program before 2030 and say it will stress air and water recycling, medical response and human resilience to radiation and bone and muscle loss.