China conducted a whole-system rehearsal for the launch of its Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Wednesday. The combination of the spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket was transferred to the launching area on May 16, with all facilities and equipment at the launch site in good condition, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

All staff involved in the Shenzhou-23 mission participated in the rehearsal, during which functional checks were carried out on subsystems such as the rocket and the spacecraft. 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.