US Media Focus: China to Send Shenzhou-23 Astronauts to Tiangong Tonight!
To transport a Pakistani astronaut to Tiangong, one member of the Shenzhou-23 crew will remain aboard Tiangong for a full year.
On May 23 (May 24 Beijing Time), U.S. publication Space News published an article.
China plans to launch the next crew to the Tiangong space station on May 24.
The Long March 2F rocket will be used to launch the Shenzhou-23 mission.
The China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSA) announced that all facilities and equipment at the launch site are in good condition.
The launch is scheduled for 11:08 AM Eastern Time on May 23 (23:08 local time in Jiuquan on May 24).
The three astronauts of the Shenzhou-23 mission are Zhu Yangzhu (Commander of Shenzhou-23), Zhang Zhiyuan, and Li Jiaying.
Li Jiaying will become the first female astronaut from Hong Kong to travel to space.
This launch also marks the beginning of a historic long-duration human spaceflight mission: one of the three astronauts will begin a one-year stay in orbit—the first time this has been achieved by the country.
This is because the upcoming Shenzhou-24 mission, scheduled for later this year, will carry a Pakistani astronaut to Tiangong for a short-term visit.
The first international guest to visit Tiangong will arrive aboard Shenzhou-24, but shortly after arrival, he will take over the position of one of the Shenzhou-23 crew members when the spacecraft returns to Earth.
China's Tiangong space station is becoming increasingly international.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1866016283312135/
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