Shenzhou-23 Crew Shares Station Vlog, Experiments Underway

The Shenzhou-23 crew aboard China’s Tiangong space station has released a new “space station weekly vlog,” offering a glimpse into daily life in orbit as the astronauts conduct an expanding roster of scientific experiments. Nearly 50 days into their mission, the three-person crew continues to update their in-orbit experiment schedule, with over 100 science and application projects now underway.

Mission Overview

Shenzhou-23 launched on May 24, 2026, aboard a Long March 2F/G rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, docking with the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong space station hours later. The mission is planned for approximately 180 days, though one crew member is expected to remain aboard for a full year — a first for China’s human spaceflight program, according to Space.com.

The crew is commanded by Zhu Yangzhu, a flight engineer on his second spaceflight who previously flew on Shenzhou-16. Pilot Zhang Zhiyuan, a former air force pilot, and payload specialist Lai Ka-ying, the first astronaut from Hong Kong, are both making their maiden voyages to space.

Life and Science Aboard Tiangong

The latest vlog, published by CCTV News on July 12, showcases the crew conducting a diverse range of experiments across multiple scientific disciplines. In the field of space life science and human physiology, the astronauts performed multi-crew collaborative interface experiments, working in pairs to test coordination protocols. They also conducted exercise bone-muscle biomechanics research, measuring plantar pressure, lower limb movement, and muscle-tendon characteristics during running and resistance training in microgravity.

Using near-infrared brain functional imaging equipment, the crew carried out neuroergonomic research under multi-task paradigms. Ground-based scientists will analyze the in-orbit data to study how the space environment affects astronauts’ cognitive control, with implications for long-duration missions.

In microgravity physical science, the crew replaced burners inside the combustion science experiment cabinet, changed samples in the fluid physics experiment cabinet, and installed a new multi-field effect evaporation module in the two-phase system experiment rack. They also performed maintenance on the containerless experiment cabinet and tested an upgraded in-orbit mass measurement instrument making its debut on the space station.

A Historic Crew

Lai Ka-ying’s presence on the mission marks a significant milestone. A former Hong Kong Police Force officer selected from China’s fourth batch of astronaut candidates in 2024, she is the first astronaut from Hong Kong to reach orbit. At a pre-launch press conference, Lai expressed her gratitude, stating: “As an ordinary person from Hong Kong, being able to join the astronaut team and be selected for this mission is an opportunity I never dared to dream of,” as reported by Xinhua via SCIO.

Commander Zhu described his crew as “three different pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together,” adding that they “think with one mind and pull in the same direction.”

Broader Implications

The Shenzhou-23 mission represents more than routine crew rotation. The planned year-long stay for one astronaut will collect crucial data on the effects of extended spaceflight on the human body, supporting China’s goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by 2030. CMSA spokesperson Zhang Jingbo noted that “assigning an astronaut to a one-year in-orbit stay is not simply doubling the duration of two six-month missions,” as reported by SpaceNews.

Looking ahead, the Shenzhou-24 mission — expected to launch around October or November 2026 — will carry a Pakistani astronaut for a short-duration visit to Tiangong, marking the first international astronaut aboard China’s space station. That astronaut will return to Earth aboard Shenzhou-23, taking the seat of the crew member selected for the year-long stay.

What’s Next

As the Shenzhou-23 crew approaches the midpoint of their mission, the growing experiment list underscores Tiangong’s maturation as a microgravity research platform. With enhanced window protection following a space debris incident on a previous mission, and a packed schedule of extravehicular activities and scientific work ahead, the crew continues to push the boundaries of China’s human spaceflight capabilities.

The decision on which crew member will remain for the full year is expected to be made based on in-orbit evaluations in the coming months.