By 
May 21st, 2026
Shenzhou-23 mission spacecraft and booster being readied for upcoming liftoff.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China’s next human spaceflight is near at hand as technicians conducted a whole-system rehearsal for the piloted Shenzhou-23 mission to the country’s space station.
The crewed spaceship will depart the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The combination of the spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket was transferred to the launching area last Saturday, with all facilities and equipment at the launch site in good condition, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Comprehensive verification
Those involved in the Shenzhou-23 mission participated in the run through, a rehearsal that included exercises in launch preparations, ignition and rocket-spaceship separation.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
“In terms of the spaceship system,” said Li Zhe, an engineer from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, “we mainly rehearsed the work at the pre-launching and launching stages at the launch area, and then conducted a comprehensive verification of the spacecraft’s interfaces with the launch site, the measurement and control communication system, astronauts and application systems.”
The rehearsal also covered a medical examination of the astronauts, and simulated the send-off ceremony, module status setting, and procedures after the entry of astronauts into the spacecraft.
Teamwork
Wang Lizhi from the Astronaut Center of China told China Central Television that the crew members engaged in good teamwork, while the coordination with the ground command team went smoothly.
“Next, we will review and summarize the whole-system rehearsal,” Wang said. “For the astronauts, the most important task is to keep themselves in a good physical and mental condition to ensure the best state for the mission.”
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Go to this video to view Shenzhou-23 launch preparations at:
Posted in Space News
