China has launched three taikonauts to the Tiangong space station aboard Shenzhou-23. One crew member is expected to remain in orbit for a full year, setting a record for China’s human spaceflight program. For Beijing, the mission is not only a long-duration orbital stay, but also preparation for a crewed lunar landing planned by 2030.

The spacecraft lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on a Long March-2F Y23 rocket. The crew includes commander Zhu Yangzhu, pilot Zhang Yuanzhi and payload specialist Li Jiaying, also known as Lai Ka-ying. She is the first astronaut from Hong Kong to take part in a Chinese space mission.

The year-long stay is designed to study how extended time in space affects the human body and mind. Researchers will examine radiation exposure, bone loss and psychological stress in orbit. Those findings are important for future lunar missions, where crews will spend longer periods away from Earth.

The mission also sharpens the space race between China and the United States. NASA is pursuing a crewed lunar landing under Artemis, while China is testing a heavy-lift rocket, a new crew spacecraft and a lunar lander. If Beijing stays on schedule, a landing before 2030 could support its longer-term plan to build a permanent moon base by 2035.