| 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 withTiangong 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 theTiangong space station. It is planned to carry threetaikonauts on board aShenzhou spacecraft.[1] The mission will be the 17th crewed Chinese spaceflight and the 23rd flight overall of theShenzhou program.
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 predecessorShenzhou 22.[2] It will be the 11th crewed flight to theTiangong space station, and is expected to last approximately 6 months.
The mission will launch fromJiuquan Satellite Launch Center on board aLong March 2F rocket. The Shenzhou spacecraft will likely dock with the nadir docking port on theTianhe 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 more than full year.[1]
| Position | Crew member | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander |  TBA,CMSA | |
| Operator | TBA, CMSA | |
| Flight Engineer | TBA, CMSA | |
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