China has launched the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft, sending three astronauts to the country’s orbiting Tiangong space station. The mission lifted off on 25 May from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

The spacecraft was launched aboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket as part of China’s ongoing human spaceflight programme.

Three-person crew assigned to mission

The Shenzhou-23 mission crew consists of mission commander Zhu Yangzhu, together with astronauts Zhang Zhiyuan and Li Jiaying. The crew members serve respectively as a flight engineer, spacecraft pilot and payload specialist.

China continues to expand operations aboard the Tiangong space station as part of its long-term space exploration and orbital research programme.