CHINA'S SHENZHOU 23 PUTS HONG KONG ASTRONAUT IN ORBIT

China launched the Shenzhou 23 mission to the Tiangong space station, sending three astronauts into orbit and placing Hong Kong's first astronaut, Lai Ka-ying, on a Chinese crewed mission. Reuters reported that the crew launched aboard a Long March-2F Y23 rocket from Jiuquan, with Zhu Yangzhu commanding the mission and Zhang Zhiyuan joining Lai on the crew.

The mission is more than a crew rotation. Reuters reported that one astronaut is expected to remain aboard Tiangong for a record year-long stay, supporting research into long-duration human spaceflight and China's goal of a crewed moon landing by 2030. AP also reported that the mission will include dozens of scientific and application projects and a rotation with the Shenzhou 21 crew.

The Hong Kong angle gives the mission domestic political weight as well as scientific value. Lai is a former Hong Kong police inspector and payload specialist, and state-linked coverage has presented her flight as a milestone for Hong Kong's integration into China's national space program. Xinhua reported that the crew will carry out a one-year in-orbit stay experiment and that the Shenzhou 21 crew had already spent more than 200 days in orbit before rotation.

Internationally, the flight fits into a broader space race. China is preparing for a crewed lunar landing by 2030 and a permanent lunar base later, while NASA is pursuing Artemis lunar missions and longer-term Mars goals. The Shenzhou 23 mission gives China more data on endurance, docking, life support, and crew operations — the unglamorous work that quietly decides whether moon ambitions are real or just expensive wall art.