China holds Shenzhou-23 press conference

China’s manned space program held a press conference for the Shenzhou-23 crewed mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on May 23, according to the China Manned Space Agency and Chinese state media. Xinhua said the briefing was scheduled for 9 a.m. Beijing time at Jiuquan and would cover mission details. CCTV said the mission is part of China’s space station operations and outlined a new long-duration in-orbit test for one crew member. ### When did China say the Shenzhou-23 briefing took place? Xinhua reported on May 23 that the headquarters for the space station’s application-and-development phase scheduled a Shenzhou-23 mission press conference for 9 a.m. Beijing time at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The notice said officials would “brief” reporters on the mission. (news.cn) CCTV reported later on May 23 that the press conference was held that morning at Jiuquan. Its report tied the briefing directly to the Shenzhou-23 crewed flight mission. ### What did state media say the mission is supposed to do? CCTV said on May 23 that Shenzhou-23 is the seventh crewed mission of the space station’s application-and-development stage and the 40th flight mission of China’s manned space program. (news.cn) The broadcaster said the mission’s main task is to complete an in-orbit crew rotation with the Shenzhou-21 crew. (news.cctv.com) CCTV said the crew will continue space science and application work, carry out extravehicular activities, move cargo in and out of the station, install space-debris protection devices, and install and recover external payloads and equipment. The report also said the mission includes science outreach, public-interest activities and piggyback experiments. (news.cctv.com) ### What is the most notable detail from the briefing? CCTV said one member of the Shenzhou-23 crew will conduct a one-year in-orbit residency test. The broadcaster did not identify that astronaut in the excerpted report. The one-year test had been flagged earlier in 2026 by official Chinese state-linked outlets. The State Council Information Office’s English-language site, citing Xinhua, said in February that one astronaut from the Shenzhou-23 crew would carry out a one-year stay aboard the space station. (news.cctv.com) ### What had China said before May 23 about the launch? (news.cctv.com) The China Manned Space Agency said on May 16 that the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft and a Long March-2F carrier rocket had been moved to the launch area and that launch-site facilities were in good condition. The agency said pre-launch checks and joint tests would continue before liftoff “in the near future.” (english.scio.gov.cn) CCTV reported on May 22 that mission systems had completed related functional checks and a full-area rehearsal. The broadcaster said the Beijing Aerospace Control Center, Jiuquan, Xi’an Satellite Control Center and other tracking stations ran coordinated simulations of launch preparation, launch and flight procedures. ### Who was expected to appear next? (cmse.gov.cn) Xinhua said on May 23 that the three Shenzhou-23 astronauts would meet Chinese and foreign media reporters at Wentiange, a facility at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The dispatch did not name the crew members in the short item surfaced here. China’s official space planning for 2026 had already listed Shenzhou-23 among the year’s crewed missions. (tv.cctv.com) The State Council’s English-language website said in April that China would carry out intensive space missions in 2026, including Shenzhou-23. (english.gov.cn) (news.cn)