NEWS: China launched 3 astronauts to its Tiangong Space Station--> Mission: Shenzhou-23, launched via Long March-2F Y23 carrier rocket

CONTEXT

• Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, northwest China
• One astronaut will stay for one full year — a record for China

Year-Long Mission

• To study long-duration human physiology in space
• Prepares China for its goal of a crewed Moon landing by 2030
• One of the longest space missions ever — just short of the 14.5-month record set by a Russian cosmonaut in 1995
• Which astronaut stays for a year will be decided based on mission progress

China vs USA — Moon Race

• China targets crewed Moon landing by 2030
• NASA aims to achieve crewed Moon landing by 2028 — two years ahead of China
• US has accused China of planning to colonise and mine lunar territory and resources
• USA's broader goal: establish long-term lunar presence as a stepping stone to human exploration of Mars
• This launch comes amid an accelerating space race between China and the US

Key Facts

• China has sent astronauts to Tiangong almost a dozen times
• Mission managed by China Manned Space Agency
• Tiangong = China's own permanent space station