China planned to launch the Shenzhou-23 mission on Sunday night with three astronauts bound for the Tiangong space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
The spacecraft was scheduled to lift off at 11:08 pm Beijing time from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on a Long March-2F Y23 carrier rocket. The mission could include China’s first one-year astronaut stay in orbit.
The crew includes commander Zhu Yangzhu, pilot Zhang Zhiyuan and payload specialist Li Jiaying, also known as Lai Ka-ying in Cantonese. Chinese state media said Li would become the first astronaut from Hong Kong to join a Chinese space mission.
The China Manned Space Agency said it would decide later which astronaut stays on Tiangong for a year. The extended stay will support research into radiation exposure, bone density loss and psychological stress during long-duration spaceflight.
The mission also comes as China pushes toward its target of a crewed moon landing before 2030. NASA is targeting a crewed lunar landing in 2028 under its Artemis programme, while SpaceX continues Starship tests for future lunar missions.
China's Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 11:08 p.m. Sunday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, the China Manned Space Agency announced on Saturday.
Chinese astronauts Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying… pic.twitter.com/JwJq0myI9w
— China Military Bugle (@ChinaMilBugle) May 23, 2026China has sent astronaut crews to Tiangong for six-month rotations since 2021. The Shenzhou-23 flight is expected to test autonomous rapid rendezvous and docking procedures linked to China’s planned lunar mission architecture.
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China also aims to build a permanent lunar base with Russia by 2035. Its lunar programme uses new hardware, including the Long March-10 rocket, Mengzhou spacecraft and Lanyue lunar lander.
