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China Launches Shenzhou-23 Mission with Hong Kong's First Astronaut

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Shenzhou-23 Mission: Hong Kong's First Astronaut Heads to Tiangong

A former Hong Kong police superintendent has made history as the first astronaut from the region to join a Chinese space mission.

The China Manned Space Agency launched the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 11:08 PM local time on Sunday, May 24, 2026. The spacecraft carried three astronauts to the Tiangong space station, including Lai Ka-ying, a former Hong Kong police superintendent and the first astronaut from Hong Kong to participate in a Chinese space mission.

Crew Composition

The Shenzhou-23 crew consists of three members:

  • Zhu Yangzhu (age 39): Mission commander, a space engineer with the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Division. He previously served on the Shenzhou-16 mission.

  • Zhang Zhiyuan (age 39): Pilot with the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Division, formerly an air force pilot. This is his first spaceflight.

  • Lai Ka-ying (age 43): Payload specialist. She holds a doctoral degree in computer forensics and previously served as a police inspector in Hong Kong. She is the fourth female Chinese astronaut and China's first female payload expert. This is her first spaceflight.

Lai was selected for astronaut training in 2024 as part of China's fourth batch of astronauts, which included 10 candidates: eight pilots and two payload specialists. The two payload specialists were chosen from the Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions.

Launch and Docking

The Shenzhou-23 spacecraft launched aboard a Long March-2F rocket. The mission tested autonomous rapid rendezvous and docking with Tiangong's core module. The crew docked with the Tiangong space station on Monday and performed an in-orbit rotation with the Shenzhou-21 crew, who had been at the station for over 200 days.

Mission Objectives

The crew will conduct dozens of science and application projects, including:

  • Human stem cell experiments to study reproduction in space
  • Studies on radiation exposure, bone density loss, and psychological stress
  • Testing of human adaptability and performance in long-duration spaceflight

One crew member is scheduled to remain on the Tiangong station for a full year, making it among China's longest space missions. The identity of that astronaut has not been announced.

According to Richard de Grijs, an astrophysicist at Macquarie University, year-long missions push hardware and humans into a different operational regime compared to previous six-month missions. Reliable life support and medical emergency management are cited as critical factors.

Previous Mission and Crew Return

The Shenzhou-21 crew—astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang—returned to Earth on Friday evening prior to the Shenzhou-23 launch. Their spacecraft landed at the Dongfeng site in Inner Mongolia after nearly seven months in orbit, marking the longest continuous stay by a Chinese crew.

During their mission, they completed three spacewalks and transferred experimental data and remaining supplies to the arriving Shenzhou-23 crew. Zhang Lu, who had previously served on the Shenzhou-15 mission, completed seven spacewalks in total, a record for a Chinese astronaut.

Program Context

China developed the Tiangong space station after being excluded from the International Space Station since 2011 due to U.S. national security concerns. Tiangong hosted its first crew in 2021.

"When Chinese astronauts land on the moon in the future, this will be a great feat for all of humanity. It will help increase our understanding of space." — Senior engineer Zhou Yaqiang

China aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030, with the U.S. planning a lunar landing by 2028. China is developing new hardware for lunar missions, including:

  • Long March-10 rockets
  • The Mengzhou spacecraft (with an orbital test flight planned for 2026 to replace the Shenzhou line for lunar missions)
  • The Lanyue lunar lander

China is also planning a permanent lunar base, the International Lunar Research Station, with Russia by 2035.

At a press conference at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, China Manned Space Agency spokesman Zhang Jingbo provided details about plans to integrate crewed and uncrewed lunar landing programs into a single mission. Senior engineer Zhou Yaqiang stated that the process of combining experiences and expertise from various missions is "progressing smoothly."

When asked about the US-China moon race, Zhou reiterated China's official position, stating the country is committed to the peaceful use of space and that its crewed lunar program is "not subject to interference from any factors."

International Cooperation

China expects to host its first foreign astronaut, from Pakistan, at Tiangong by the end of 2025. China is training two Pakistani astronauts for potential short-duration missions.

Notable Background

In a previous incident, the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft was deemed unsafe due to damage from space debris, and its crew returned on Shenzhou-21 after a delay. In June 2024, China recovered lunar samples from the Moon's far side using robotic spacecraft.