China successfully launched the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship on Sunday night to send three astronauts to its orbiting space station, with newly released footage from China Media Group (CMG) showcasing the stunning ascent from multiple perspectives.

The spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 23:08 Beijing Time (15:08 GMT).

The crew members consist of mission commander Zhu Yangzhu, and fellow astronauts Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying, who is also the first astronaut from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

In another notable first, one of the trio is set to stay at the Tiangong space station for a year, double the usual duration of previous Shenzhou missions.

After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-23 spaceship successfully docked with the radial port of Tiangong's core module Tianhe, forming a combination of three modules and three spacecraft.

Shenzhou-23 marks the 40th flight mission of China's manned space program and the seventh manned flight mission since the Tiangong space station entered its application and development phase in late 2022.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

iuquan Satellite Launch Center, northwest China - May 24, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)

1. Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship atop Long March-2F carrier rocket on launch pad

2. Shenzhou-23 crew aboard spaceship saluting

3. Various of rocket blasting off

China/In Space - May 24, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)

4. Various of rocket ascending; moon

5. Rocket in flight

6. Separation of escape tower

7. Onboard camera showing booster

8. Separation of boosters; picture-in-picture screen showing Shenzhou-21 crew members watching from space station

9. Split screens showing separation of first stage of rocket, Shenzhou-23 crew aboard spaceship

10. Separation of rocket fairing

11. Rocket in flight

12. Onboard camera showing second-stage engines shutting down

13. Split screens showing rocket-spaceship separation captured by onboard camera, Shenzhou-23 crew aboard spaceship

14. Onboard camera showing rocket-spaceship separation

15. Split screens showing Shenzhou-23 crew aboard spaceship, Shenzhou-21 crew watching from space station

16. Split screens showing animation of solar panels unfolding, Shenzhou-23 crew aboard spaceship, Shenzhou-21 crew watching from space station

17. Shenzhou-23 crew aboard spaceship