China successfully launched the Shenzhou 23 crewed spacecraft on May 24, 2026, sending three astronauts toward the Tiangong space station. Liftoff took place at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China; Li Benqi, a center official, called the mission “a complete success” in videotaped remarks circulated by state media.
The mission carries commander Zhu Yangzhu and flight crew members Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying (also rendered as Li Jiaying). Lai, born and raised in Hong Kong and holding a doctorate in computer forensics, is the first Hong Kong-born astronaut to fly on a Chinese mission and is reported to be China’s fourth woman in space.
One member of the Shenzhou 23 crew is slated to remain aboard the Tiangong station for about a year. Chinese state media say the long-duration assignment aims to study human adaptability and performance limits during extended spaceflight, and will help researchers understand physiological and operational challenges of lengthy missions.
While aboard Tiangong, the crew will carry out dozens of scientific and applied experiments. They are also expected to complete an in-orbit handover with the Shenzhou 21 crew, who have been working on the station for more than 200 days.
Shenzhou 21, launched in late October, included China’s youngest astronaut and carried four mice, marking the first time live mammals were flown on a Chinese crewed mission since the program’s earlier animal flights.
China has been steadily expanding the Tiangong program after being largely excluded from the International Space Station over U.S. national security concerns. Tiangong — which means “Heavenly Palace” — first hosted a Chinese crew in 2021. Beijing has signaled ambitions beyond low Earth orbit, aiming for a crewed lunar landing by about 2030.
China’s growing capabilities position it as a major space competitor to the United States; NASA is targeting a crewed lunar return around the late 2020s. In recent years, China also conducted an emergency Shenzhou mission that brought astronauts back from Tiangong after a different spacecraft was judged damaged and unsafe for crewed reentry.
The Shenzhou program, whose name translates roughly as “Divine Vessel,” continues to be the backbone of China’s human spaceflight activities as it pursues longer missions, expanded science payloads, and preparations for deeper-space exploration.