Preparing to Launch Shenzhou-23 Crewed Spacecraft | China Space Station

Preparing to Launch Shenzhou-23 Crewed Spacecraft | China Space Station

The Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft will be launched at an appropriate time in the near future. The combination of the spacecraft  and a Long March-2F carrier rocket has been transferred to the launching area. After just over an hour of vertical transfer, the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft combination has now been positioned on the launch tower.

At present, engineers have ascended the tower and begun conducting preliminary inspections. Subsequent pre-launch functional checks and joint tests will be conducted as scheduled with the launch planned for a suitable time in the coming days.

"After we entered the site on April 19, each system first conducted a status check on the rocket, followed by the simultaneous execution of multiple tasks across all systems with the propulsion system completing the gas testing of the pressurized delivery system's fuel cells and the testing of the pyrotechnic devices, the structural system finishing the docking of the spacecraft and payload brackets, the closure of the fairing, and the docking of the spacecraft-carrier combination with the escape tower; and the propulsion system completing subsystem testing, small-scale and large-scale matching testing, and final system checks. So far, all system parameters meet specifications, and the rocket is operating normally. Next, we will conduct three rounds of electrical testing, primarily involving functional checks of the launch area, circuit inspections for ignition and emergency shutdown, and a full-scale launch rehearsal. Following that, we will perform a full-system gas leak test and fueling," said Xu Zheyao, a rocket designer of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) was founded in 1958. It was the first of China's four spaceports. The launch center has been the focus of many of China's historic space ventures, including the country's first satellite Dong Fang Hong I in 1970 and their first crewed space mission, Shenzhou V, on October 15, 2003.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 15 seconds
Release Date: May 16, 2026

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