China has successfully launched the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft to the Tiangong Space Station, marking another major milestone in Beijing’s growing ambitions in human space exploration.
The spacecraft lifted off aboard a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center late Sunday, according to Chinese state media and international reports.
The mission has drawn global attention because astronaut Lai Ka-ying became the first astronaut from Hong Kong to join China’s national crewed space programme. Lai, also known as Li Jiaying in Mandarin, previously served as a Hong Kong police inspector and was selected as a payload specialist for the mission.
The three-member crew is expected to conduct scientific experiments, maintenance operations and technology testing aboard the Tiangong orbital station during the mission. Chinese authorities also confirmed that one astronaut could remain in orbit for nearly a year as part of long-duration human spaceflight research.
The launch comes as China accelerates its long-term space ambitions, including plans for a crewed lunar landing by 2030 and the future development of a permanent lunar research base in partnership with Russia.
The China Manned Space Agency has steadily expanded the Tiangong programme in recent years as competition in global space exploration intensifies between China and the United States.
The Shenzhou-23 mission is also viewed as symbolically important for Hong Kong, with Chinese state media describing Lai’s participation as a historic step for the city’s involvement in national aerospace development.