Shenzhou 23
| Mission type | Tiangong space station crew transport |
|---|---|
| Operator | China Manned Space Agency |
| Mission duration | 180 days (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Shenzhou |
| Manufacturer | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 3 |
| Members | TBA |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | TBA |
| Rocket | Long March 2F |
| Launch site | Jiuquan, LA-4/SLS |
| Contractor | China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 2026 (planned) |
| Landing site | Inner Mongolia, China |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Inclination | 41.5° |
| Docking with Tiangong space station | |
| Docking port | Tianhe nadir |
| Docking date | TBA |
| Undocking date | 2026 (planned) |
| Time docked | 180 days (planned) |
Shenzhou 23 (Chinese: 神舟二十三号; pinyin: Shénzhōu èrshísān-hào; lit. 'Divine Boat Number 23') is a planned Chinese spaceflight to the Tiangong space station. It is planned to carry three taikonauts on board a Shenzhou spacecraft.[1] The mission will be the 17th crewed Chinese spaceflight and the 23rd flight overall of the Shenzhou program.
Background
Originally expected to launch around November 2026, the launch of Shenzhou 23 has been brought up April 2026 due to the early launch of its predecessor Shenzhou 22.[2] It will be the 11th crewed flight to the Tiangong space station, and is expected to last approximately 6 months.
Mission
The mission will launch from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on board a Long March 2F rocket. The Shenzhou spacecraft will likely dock with the nadir docking port on the Tianhe core module of the station. Shenzhou 20, which has a cracked window and is currently not considered flightworthy, is currently docked to this port and would need to be undocked before Shenzhou 23 can dock.[2]
Unlike previous six-month missions, the CMSA has announced that one astronaut from Shenzhou 23 is expected to stay in space for a full year.[1] This would allow a Pakistani astronaut to visit Tiangong during the Shenzhou 24 mission scheduled for October.[3]
Crew
| Position | Crew member | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | TBA, CMSA | |
| Operator | TBA, CMSA | |
| Flight Engineer | TBA, CMSA | |
References
- ^ a b "China unveils 2026 mission for next generation crewed spaceship". Space Daily.
- ^ a b published, Mike Wall (November 25, 2025). "China launches uncrewed Shenzhou capsule for 3 astronauts stuck on Tiangong space station (video)". Space.
- ^ https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/11/china-roundup-112025/M/