China announces Shenzhou-23 crew for space station mission

Jiuquan (ANTARA) – Three Chinese astronauts, Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Lai Ka-ying, will undertake the manned spaceflight mission Shenzhou-23, with Zhu as commander, according to a press conference by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Saturday (23 May).

The crewed spacecraft Shenzhou-23 is scheduled to launch on Sunday (24 May) at 23:08 Beijing time (22:08 WIB) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwestern China, CMSA spokesperson Zhang Jingbo said.

The three astronauts will each serve as flight engineer, spacecraft pilot, and payload specialist. Zhu previously participated in the Shenzhou-16 mission. Zhang and Lai come from the third and fourth astronaut groups, and will undertake their first spaceflight. Before selection, Zhang was an air force pilot, while Lai worked for the Hong Kong Police.