Rocket Launch of Shenzhou-23 Crew Spacecraft: Multiple views | China Space Station

Rocket Launch of Shenzhou-23 Crew Spacecraft: Multiple views | China Space Station

China successfully launched the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft on Sunday night, May 24, 2026, to send three astronauts to its orbiting space station, with newly released footage from China Media Group (CMG) showcasing the ascent from multiple perspectives.

The spacecraft, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) in northwest China at 23:08 Beijing Time (15:08 GMT).

The crew members consist of mission commander Zhu Yangzhu, and fellow astronauts Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Jiaying.

Li Jiaying, also known as Lai Ka-ying in Cantonese, is the first astronaut from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR).

In another notable first, one of the trio is set to stay at the Tiangong Space Station for a year, double the usual duration of previous Shenzhou missions.

After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft successfully docked with the radial port of Tiangong's core module Tianhe, forming a combination of three modules and three spacecraft.

Shenzhou-23 marks the 40th flight mission of China's crewed space program and the seventh crewed flight mission since the Tiangong Space Station entered its application and development phase in late 2022.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 43 seconds
Release Date: May 25, 2026

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