China sends astronaut on year-long space mission as it eyes 2030 moon landing, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• China launched the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft on Sunday with three astronauts to its Tiangong space station.
• One astronaut will stay on the space station for a record one year to study long-duration human physiology in space.
• Li Jiaying, a former Hong Kong police inspector, is the first astronaut from Hong Kong to participate in a Chinese space mission.
• The launch occurs amidst a growing space race with the US, as China aims for a crewed moon landing by 2030.

Detailed Insights:

• The Shenzhou-23 was launched via the Long March-2F Y23 carrier rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
• The mission aims to facilitate research on the effects of extended space stays on the human body.
• The US, through NASA, is also planning a crewed moon landing by 2028 with intentions to establish a long-term lunar presence.
• The other two crew members are commander Zhu Yangzhu and pilot Zhang Yuanzhi, both from the People’s Liberation Army’s astronaut division.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Space Station: A large artificial satellite used as a long-term base for manned space operations.
• Crewed Mission: A spaceflight involving human astronauts as part of the crew.
• Lunar Colonization: The hypothetical establishment of a permanent human settlement on the Moon.