China launches new crewed spacecraft amid US rivalry
Tokyo (ANTARA) - China launched the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft on Sunday evening (25 May), targeting one astronaut to undertake a year-long mission instead of the usual six months, amid ongoing rivalry with the United States.
The Long March 2F rocket carrying three astronauts lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China’s Gansu province.
The Shenzhou-23 mission marks the first participation of a Hong Kong resident in China’s national space mission. Lai Ka-ying, a payload specialist, became the fourth Chinese woman to travel to space.
According to Hong Kong authorities, Lai is a police chief in the semi-autonomous region and a computer forensics expert.
Chinese state media reported on Saturday (23 May) that the crew would conduct over 100 scientific research projects and application experiments across various fields, including life sciences, aerospace medicine, and new aerospace technologies.
As part of China’s efforts to enhance its space capabilities and commit to long-term human presence in space, one of the three crew members is expected to spend a year in orbit at the Tiangong space station.
Since the space station’s completion in 2022, previous missions have had crews serve six-month tours.
The Shenzhou-23 launch occurs as both China and the US aim to land astronauts on the Moon in the coming years.
In April, NASA’s Artemis II mission marked the first crewed lunar orbit in over five decades, following humanity’s farthest journey from Earth in history.
China’s Manned Space Agency targets a first human lunar landing by 2030, while NASA seeks to establish a permanent human presence on and around the Moon in the coming decade.
Last month, China announced that two Pakistani astronauts have been selected for training for a mission to the Tiangong space station by the end of this year.
According to state media, after completing all training and evaluations, one will become the first foreign astronaut to serve on China’s space station.