China launched its Shenzhou-23 mission on Sunday, sending three astronauts to the Tiangong space station in a flight that will see one crew member spend a full year in orbit for the first time. The mission marks a crucial step in Beijing’s ambition to land humans on the moon by 2030.
The Long March 2-F rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan launch centre in north-western China, carrying the crew to the Tiangong space station. Among the astronauts is Lai Ka-ying, 43, from Hong Kong, making her the first astronaut from the territory to travel into space. The other crew members are space engineer Zhu Yangzhu, 39, and former air force pilot Zhang Zhiyuan, also 39, both first-time spacefarers.
The crew will conduct a range of scientific experiments in life sciences, materials science, fluid physics and medicine. A key experiment involves one astronaut staying in orbit for a full year to study the effects of prolonged microgravity, which is essential for China’s future lunar and potential Martian missions. The Chinese space agency said the astronaut selected for the year-long stay will be named later.
Richard de Grijs, an astrophysicist at Macquarie University in Australia, noted that the main challenges include bone density loss, muscle wasting, radiation exposure, sleep disturbance and psychological fatigue. He also stressed the need for reliable life support systems and the ability to handle medical emergencies far from Earth.
The Shenzhou-23 mission is part of China’s broader lunar ambitions, competing with NASA’s Artemis programme. China also plans to test its Mengzhou spacecraft in orbit by 2026, which will replace the Shenzhou line and carry astronauts to the moon. The nation aims to build the first phase of the International Lunar Research Station by 2035 and expects to welcome its first foreign astronaut, from Pakistan, to Tiangong by the end of this year.
China has invested heavily in its space programme over the past three decades, with notable achievements including the first landing on the far side of the moon in 2019 and a Mars rover landing in 2021. Excluded from the International Space Station since 2011 due to US restrictions, China has developed its own space station as a platform for future exploration.
