At this very moment, the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft-rocket combination stands poised for launch, with the countdown entering its final irreversible phase. From here on out, all monitoring and preparation efforts are focused solely on the moment of ignition.

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.