The Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft is scheduled for launch at 11:08 p.m. Sunday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, the China Manned Space Agency announced on Saturday.

The Shenzhou-23 mission marks the seventh crewed spaceflight during the application and development phase of China's space station and the 40th flight of the country's crewed space program.

The crew's main objectives include in-orbit rotation with the Shenzhou-21 crew, space science and application experiments, extravehicular activities and cargo transfers, installation of debris protection devices, installation and retrieval of external payloads and equipment, science education and public welfare activities and space payload tests.

One crew member will carry out a year-long in-orbit residency experiment.

After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft will conduct a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the radial port of the Tianhe core module, forming a combination of three spacecraft and three modules.

After completing the in-orbit handover with the Shenzhou-23 crew, the Shenzhou-21 crew will return to the Dongfeng Landing Site in northwest China. Having spent 203 days in orbit, they are expected to set a new record for the longest stay of a Chinese crew in space. Currently, all work is progressing smoothly and all three crew members are in good condition.

Over 100 new application projects

The Shenzhou-23 crew will run over 100 new scientific and application projects across fields such as space life science, space materials science, microgravity fluid physics, aerospace medicine, and new aerospace technologies, focusing on in-depth research and verification.

Space life science projects will use zebrafish embryos, mouse embryos, and "artificial embryos" grown from stem cells to establish a space embryology research system, from lower vertebrates to higher mammals, advancing systematic studies on scientific questions related to space life cultivation.

Conducting space materials science, the crew will study space-based fabrication and performance regulation of advanced materials, and the development of new materials such as high-performance rare-earth permanent magnetic alloys and lightweight high-entropy alloys.

In-orbit verification of new types of space energy storage batteries are expected to accelerate aerospace advancements that will support future upgrades to space station capabilities.

One-year space stay

With the one-year in-orbit residency experiment, China is pioneering its first space human research program. This will enable the collection of crucial data on astronauts exposed to long-duration spaceflight environments and ultimately enrich mission implementation experience.

The stay will also verify the health support capacity for long-term missions and improve the in-orbit medical and protection system.

It will provide an extended opportunity for continuous scientific research and technologies validation.

Pakistani astronauts in training

Two Pakistani astronauts have been training alongside Chinese astronauts.

As planned, one of them will serve as a payload specialist on a short-term space mission. They are currently undergoing basic training and spaceflight professional technical training in accordance with the program, with a focus on practical operation skills to ensure mission readiness.

They will also get Chinese language lessons with the curriculum focusing on basic language skills as well as specialized command vocabulary required to perform flight missions.