China launches Shenzhou-23 mission with first full-year orbit crew

The Story

According to a single report from The Guardian, China launched its Shenzhou-23 mission on Sunday, carrying three astronauts to the Tiangong space station. The mission includes a crew member who will spend a full year in orbit for the first time, a step toward China’s goal of sending humans to the moon by 2030. The astronauts are Lai Ka-ying, a former Hong Kong police officer and the first astronaut from the territory; space engineer Zhu Yangzhu; and former air force pilot Zhang Zhiyuan.

Key Facts

• The Long March 2-F rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan launch centre in north-western China.
• The crew will conduct experiments in life sciences, materials science, fluid physics, and medicine.
• One crew member will remain in orbit for a full year to study the effects of microgravity, part of preparations for lunar and possible Martian missions.
• The astronaut selected for the year-long stay will be named at a later date, according to the Chinese space agency.
• Previous Tiangong crews typically stayed for six months.
• China plans to land astronauts on the moon before 2030, competing with NASA’s Artemis programme.
• China is also testing the Mengzhou spacecraft, with an orbital test flight set for 2026, intended to replace the Shenzhou line for lunar missions.
• Beijing aims to build the first phase of the International Lunar Research Station by 2035.
• China expects to welcome its first foreign astronaut, from Pakistan, to Tiangong by the end of 2026.
• China launched the Chang’e-4 probe to the far side of the moon in 2019 and a rover to Mars in 2021.
• China has been excluded from the International Space Station since 2011 due to a US ban on NASA collaboration.
• Richard de Grijs, an astrophysicist at Macquarie University, said the main challenges of a year-long mission include bone density loss, muscle wasting, radiation exposure, sleep disturbance, behavioural and psychological fatigue, and the need for reliable life-support systems.

Conflicting Reports

No conflicting reports identified in the source article.

Still Unclear

The article does not specify which astronaut will be selected for the full-year stay in orbit.

Misconceptions

No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.

Key Figures

• Lai Ka-ying, astronaut, 43, former Hong Kong police officer
• Zhu Yangzhu, space engineer, 39
• Zhang Zhiyuan, former air force pilot, 39
• Richard de Grijs, astrophysicist and professor at Macquarie University

Sources: The Guardian