China has launched its Shenzhou-23 mission, marking the first time an astronaut will spend a full year in orbit, a crucial step in Beijing's ambition to send humans to the moon by 2030. The Long March 2-F rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan launch centre in north-western China on Sunday, carrying three astronauts to the Tiangong space station.
Crew Details
The mission features the first spaceflight ever undertaken by an astronaut from Hong Kong: Lai Ka-ying, 43, who previously worked for the territory's police. The other crew members are space engineer Zhu Yangzhu, 39, and former air force pilot Zhang Zhiyuan, also 39, both travelling into space for the first time.
Scientific Objectives
The crew is expected to conduct numerous scientific projects in life sciences, materials science, fluid physics, and medicine. A key experiment will be the full-year stay in orbit by one of the crew to study the effects of long-term microgravity, part of China's preparations for future lunar and possible Martian missions. The astronaut selected for the year-long stay will be named at a later date, according to the Chinese space agency.
Challenges and Significance
Richard de Grijs, an astrophysicist and professor at Macquarie University in Australia, highlighted the main challenges: long-term effects on humans including bone density loss, muscle wasting, radiation exposure, sleep disturbance, and behavioural and psychological fatigue. He also stressed the importance of reliable water and air-recycling systems and the ability to manage potential medical emergencies far from Earth. He noted that China is steadily building operational experience for sustained occupation of the Tiangong space station, and year-long missions are an important step towards future lunar and deep-space ambitions.
Tiangong crews have typically remained in orbit for six months before replacement. The Shenzhou-23 mission is part of China's goal to land astronauts on the moon before 2030, competing with NASA's Artemis programme. Beijing is also testing required equipment, with an orbital test flight of its Mengzhou spacecraft set for 2026, which will replace the ageing Shenzhou line and carry astronauts to the moon.
Future Plans
China hopes to build the first phase of a manned scientific base, the International Lunar Research Station, by 2035. It also plans to welcome its first foreign astronaut, from Pakistan, to the Tiangong station by the end of this year. Beijing has significantly expanded its space programmes over the last 30 years, injecting billions of dollars to catch up with the US, Russia, and Europe. It landed the Chang'e-4 probe on the far side of the moon in 2019, a world first, and a rover on Mars in 2021. China has been excluded from the International Space Station since 2011, when the US banned NASA from collaborating with Beijing, prompting its own space station project.
