China launches Shenzhou-23 with first Hong Kong astronaut for year-long stay

On 24 May 2026, China launched the Shenzhou‑23 mission from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 23:08 local time (15:08 GMT) using a Long March 2F rocket. The three‑person crew consists of commander Zhu Yangzhu, flight engineer Zhang Zhiyuan and Hong Kong police superintendent and payload specialist Lai Ka‑ying, the first astronaut from the city.

One crew member will remain aboard the Tiangong space station for a full year – a record duration for China – to study the effects of prolonged microgravity on the human body, life‑science experiments and new space‑technology demonstrations. The mission also includes extravehicular activities, cargo transfers and over a hundred scientific projects covering biology, materials and fluid physics.

Shenzhou‑23 is a key step in Beijing’s broader plan to land humans on the Moon by 2030 and eventually build a lunar research base. The year‑long orbital test is intended to build operational experience for sustained occupation of Tiangong and future deep‑space voyages.