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Watch the Launch

Additional Media

LIVE: Special Coverage of China's Shenzhou-23 Crewed Spacecraft Launch

China launches its Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. Chinese astronauts Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying carry out the mission, with Zhu as the commander. Welcome to subscribe us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewsContent.CCTVPLUS Twitter: https://twitter.com/CCTV_Plus LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cctv-news-content Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cctv_video_news_agency/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cctv_plus Video on …

LIVE: China to launch astronauts to Tiangong space station on Shenzhou-23 spacecraft

Watch live as China launches a crew of three astronauts to its Tiangong space station on Shenzhou-23 spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The crew includes Lai Ka-ying, who is the first astronaut from Hong Kong, along with astronauts Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan. #china #space #live

Shenzhou 23

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission: Human Exploration

Low Earth Orbit Launch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921) Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Shenzhou 23 will be the 23rd flight of the Shenzhou program.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • May 24, 2026, 3:29 p.m.

Launch success.


Cosmic_Penguin • May 24, 2026, 3:09 p.m.

Liftoff.


LL2 • May 24, 2026, noon

Unofficial Webcast by CGTN has started


Cosmic_Penguin • May 18, 2026, 6:43 a.m.

NET May 24 per new NOTAMs.


Cosmic_Penguin • May 16, 2026, 2 a.m.

NET late May.


Long March 2F/G

Family:
Configuration: F/G

The Long March 2F is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket, part of the Long March 2 rocket family. Designed to launch the crewed Shenzhou spacecraft, the Long March 2F is a human-rated two-stage version of the Long March 2E rocket, which in turn was based on the Long March 2C launch vehicle. It is launched from complex SLS at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Long March 2F/G version includes longer boosters for increased lift capability, among other improvements.

Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    62.0 m
  • Diameter
    3.35 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
    464.0 T
  • Thrust
Family
  • Name
    Long March 2F/G
  • Family
  • Variant
    F/G
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Long March 2F/G
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    8399.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Shenzhou 23


Active Human Rated Crew On-board: 3 Crew Capacity: 3
Destination: Tiangong space station
Serial Number: 23

Spacecraft used to launch 3 astronauts on the 11th crewed mission to the Chinese Space Station.

Shenzhou Details

Crew


Zhu Yangzhu

Commander - configurations.Country.None - ( CNSA )

Status: Active

Date of Birth: Sept. 1, 1986
Age: 40

Lai Ka-ying

Operator - configurations.Country.None - ( CNSA )

Status: Active

Date of Birth: Nov. 1, 1982
Age: 43

Zhang Zhiyuan

Operator - configurations.Country.None - ( CNSA )

Status: Active

Date of Birth: June 1, 1986
Age: 40

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

(CASC)

Chairman & President: Lei Fanpei Founded: 1999 Successes: 599 Failures: 16 Pending: 9

Agency Type:

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is the main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has a number of subordinate entities which design, develop and manufacture a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, strategic and tactical missile systems, and ground equipment. It was officially established in July 1999 as part of a Chinese government reform drive, having previously been one part of the former China Aerospace Corporation. Various incarnations of the program date back to 1956.

INFO WIKI
NASASpaceflight

Shenzhou 23 set to launch new crew to Tiangong space station

The Chinese space station Tiangong, permanently occupied since June 5, 2022, is set to receive… The post Shenzhou 23 set to launch new crew to Tiangong space station appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

SpaceNews

Shenzhou-23 crew arrives at Tiangong as China maps path to 2030 lunar landing

Three Chinese astronauts arrived at Tiangong space station Sunday, with one crewmember expected to become China’s first to stay in orbit for an entire year. The post Shenzhou-23 crew arrives at Tiangong as China maps path to 2030 lunar la…

NASASpaceflight

China prepares cargo, crew, and deep space missions, as commercial sector steps towards reusability

China is preparing to launch both cargo and crew missions to its Tiangong space station,… The post China prepares cargo, crew, and deep space missions, as commercial sector steps towards reusability appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

SpaceNews

China set for its first one-year human spaceflight mission, confirms Pakistani astronaut flight

China will begin its first one-year duration astronaut mission this year, while the first international astronaut will make a short visit to Tiangong space station. The post China set for its first one-year human spaceflight mission, conf…

SpaceNews

Damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft survives reentry, Shenzhou-23 arrives at spaceport

China’s damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft returned safely to Earth after on-orbit internal repairs, concluding the country’s first human spaceflight emergency triggered by a suspected debris impact. The post Damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft su…

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Launch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921)


Falcon 9
Success
1 hour, 13 minutes ago
Starlink Group 15-27
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 2D
Success
16 hours, 10 minutes ago
PIESAT-2 13-16
Launch Complex 9 - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

4 X-band synthetic-aperture radar Earth observation satellites for the Chinese Earth observation satellite company PIESAT.


Electron
Success
23 hours, 38 minutes ago
Owl By The Dozen (StriX Launch 12)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Synthetic aperture radar satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company Synspective.


Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M
Success
2 days, 10 hours ago
Glonass-K1 No. 20 (?)
43/3 (43L) - Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Note: Satellite serial number and Cosmos designation not confirmed. Glonass-K are the third generation of satellite design for GLONASS satellite n…


Kuaizhou 11
Success
3 days ago
SpaceTY-51 & 52
Launch Area 95A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

2 Earth observation radar satellites built by the Chinese satellite manufacturer SpaceTY.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 1 hour ago
USSF-259
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

USSF-259 is a classified mission for the United States Space Force. It is possibly a batch of classified LEO satellites based on SpaceX’s Starshield …


Long March 12
Success
3 days, 2 hours ago
SatNet LEO Group 25
Commercial LC-2 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group.…


Soyuz 2.1b
Success
3 days, 13 hours ago
Progress MS-35 (96P)
31/6 - Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Progress resupply mission to the International Space Station.


Gravity-1
Success
4 days, 5 hours ago
SpaceSail Polar Group #16
Yellow Sea (launch location 5) - Haiyang Oriental Spaceport

9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with …


Zhuque-2E Block 2
Success
4 days, 20 hours ago
SpaceSail Polar Group #15
Launch Area 96A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

10 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with…