China launches rocket to send astronaut on year-long space mission

China launched its Shenzhou-23 mission on Sunday (May 24), which will see a Chinese astronaut spend a full year in orbit for the first time, a crucial step in Beijing's ambition to send humans to the Moon by 2030.



The Long March 2-F rocket blasted off in a cloud of flames and smoke on time at 11.08pm from the Jiuquan launch centre in China's northwestern Gobi Desert, video from state broadcaster CCTV showed.



The spacecraft separated from the rocket around 10 minutes later and entered orbit, the Chinese space agency (CMSA) said on social media.

"The astronauts are in good condition, and the launch has been a complete success," it added.



Payload specialist Li Jiaying, a former Hong Kong police inspector, will be the first astronaut from the city to take part in a Chinese space mission.



The other crew members are commander Zhu Yangzhu and pilot Zhang Yuanzhi, both from the People's Liberation Army's astronaut division.