China launches Shenzhou 23 spacecraft… sends 3 people to space station, will stay for a year

Beijing. Giving new impetus to its space program, China successfully launched the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft on Sunday night. Through this mission, three astronauts have been sent to China’s Tiangong Space Station. The special thing is that an astronaut involved in this mission will remain in space for a whole year. China is considering this as a big experiment to understand the effect of living in space for a long time on the human body and mind. This mission is also being linked to China’s goal of landing humans on the moon by 2030.

What is the biggest feature of Shenzhou-23 mission?

The Shenzhou-23 spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The mission includes commander Zhu Yangzhu along with Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying. Lai Ka-ying has also been identified by Chinese authorities as Li Jiaying. She is the first Hong Kong-born female astronaut to be sent on a space mission. He also has a doctoral degree in Computer Forensics. China has described this mission as its biggest achievement in the field of technology and science.

What work will scientists and passengers do on the space station?

According to Chinese government media, this team will work on many scientific experiments and technical projects on the space station. Along with this, in-orbit rotation will also be done with the astronauts of Shenzhou-21 mission. The team of Shenzhou-21 has been present at Tiangong Space Station for more than 200 days. During the mission, astronauts will have to study the effects of staying in space for a long time on the body, working capacity and mental state. China says this will strengthen preparations for future long space missions, especially trips to the Moon and beyond.

Will the US-China space race intensify?

China is continuously advancing its space program. Many missions have already been sent to the Tiangong Space Station. China developed this station when it was almost excluded from the International Space Station program due to national security concerns. Now the competition over space between China and America seems to be intensifying. America’s space agency NASA is also preparing to land humans on the moon again by 2028. In such a situation, this mission of China is not only being considered a scientific expedition but also a demonstration of strength and technology.

Why is Tiangong Station becoming China’s new power?

Tiangong Space Station means heavenly palace. The station hosted astronauts for the first time in 2021. China’s Shenzhou program is continuously expanding. Last year, an emergency mission was also conducted under the same program, in which astronauts stranded on the station due to a malfunctioning spacecraft were brought back safely. Now, through the Shenzhou-23 mission, China wants to show that it is capable of keeping humans safe in space for a long time and running big scientific missions. This is the reason why the eyes of the world are fixed on this mission.