Special Edition | Shenzhou-23 Crewed Mission Crew Makes Public Appearance

Shenzhou-23 Crewed Mission Crew Makes Public Appearance

Across the river of stars, on a low Earth orbit 400 kilometers above the planet, China's space station patrols the heavens day and night in stable operation.

On the banks of the Ruoshui River, ancient poplars stand proud after a thousand years, as the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center welcomes yet another historic moment — the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft is about to depart from this place, bound for "Tiangong."

At the Shenzhou-23 crewed mission crew meet-the-press conference held on May 23, three astronauts appeared to cheers: commander and spaceflight engineer Zhu Yangzhu, spacecraft pilot Zhang Zhiyuan, and payload specialist Li Jiaying.

This is a crew of distinctive character: all members were born in the 1980s; a third-cohort astronaut is serving as commander for the first time; fourth-cohort astronauts are executing a spaceflight mission for the first time; an astronaut from Hong Kong is venturing into space for the first time; and one astronaut will complete a one-year on-orbit stay for the first time…

In 2026, the glory of the 90th anniversary of the Long March victory and the 70th anniversary of China's space program converge. The Shenzhou-23 crewed mission crew will, through concrete action, write a new chapter in the "Space Long March" of China's astronauts in the new era.

Zhu Yangzhu, male, Han ethnicity, native of Peixian County, Jiangsu Province, holds a doctoral degree. Born September 1986, enlisted September 2005, joined the Chinese Communist Party December 2006. He is a Grade-3 astronaut in the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps, holding the rank of Army Colonel. He previously served as an associate professor at the Space Engineering University. In September 2020, he was selected as a spaceflight engineer in China's third cohort of astronauts. In May 2023, he executed the Shenzhou-16 crewed mission. In April 2024, he was awarded the honorary title of "Heroic Astronaut" by the CPC Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission, and received the "Third-Class Space Meritorious Service Medal." Following comprehensive evaluation, he was selected for the Shenzhou-23 crewed mission crew and appointed commander.

Commander Zhu Yangzhu —

Boldly Advancing on a Second Journey to Space

■ PLA Daily Reporter Cheng Xue, Special Correspondent Zhan Kang

The first time a third-cohort astronaut serves as commander, a crew member executing a one-year on-orbit stay for the first time… China's first spaceflight engineer to fly in space, Zhu Yangzhu, is about to venture into space again — this time as commander of the Shenzhou-23 crew.

"When I received the appointment I was surprised, but mostly resolute." Facing reporters, Zhu Yangzhu's gaze was steady. The accumulation of multiple "firsts" poses unprecedented demands on the crew's physical and mental fitness, coordination, emergency response, and long-duration on-orbit capability.

This confidence stems from day-after-day of rigorous training, from the operational experience Zhu Yangzhu accumulated during the Shenzhou-16 crewed mission, and from the invaluable experience and outstanding qualities passed down from veteran astronauts. "Only by being comprehensively excellent can one respond with composure." At the crew's first meeting, he wrote down his goal: "Live happily, work efficiently, achieve zero mistakes, zero errors."

Zhu Yangzhu's dream of spaceflight began in his youth. In November 1998, the Leonid meteor shower erupted. In the early hours of the morning on the North Jiangsu Plain, twelve-year-old Zhu Yangzhu gazed up at the sky, and the magnificent spectacle of meteors filling the heavens planted deep within the boy's heart a seed of longing for the stars.

From that point on, "spaceflight" became the defining word in Zhu Yangzhu's life trajectory. After his college entrance examination, his sole application was to the spacecraft systems and engineering program at the National University of Defense Technology; over ten years of study, he cultivated deep expertise in aerodynamics and fluid mechanics.

When selection for China's third cohort of astronauts began, Zhu Yangzhu — by then an associate professor at the Space Engineering University — signed up without hesitation. After passing through successive rounds of selection, he was officially inducted into China's third cohort of astronauts in September 2020.

Dreams bloom only through arduous effort. Zhu Yangzhu's path to space is aptly captured in his own self-description as an "Arctic moth" (北极灯蛾) — accumulating energy through a long "winter," waiting only to finally break free from the chrysalis.

Underwater extravehicular activity training requires wearing a heavy spacesuit and precisely fitting one's feet into a restraint slot only 2 centimeters wide. Zhu Yangzhu worked through the problem repeatedly, relying on muscle memory and visual feedback, and ultimately overcame the challenge.

In December 2025, Zhu Yangzhu participated in China's first astronaut cave training exercise, staying for six days and five nights in a cave with an average temperature of 8 degrees Celsius and humidity of 99 percent, confronting challenges including traversing extremely narrow passages, climbing sheer cliffs, enduring cold and damp, physical exhaustion, fear of darkness, and the psychological stress of sensory deprivation.

To temper his psychological resilience, Zhu Yangzhu proposed that teammates briefly switch off their headlamps to experience the boundless darkness that "closely resembles an extravehicular activity in space." He was responsible for logistics coordination and experiments, working alongside teammates in a division of labor without division of effort, providing mutual support. At the conclusion of training, he reflected: "The cave and the space environment are similar — both test psychological resilience and teamwork. One person running fast is not success; the whole team returning safely and successfully is the true victory."

Zhu Yangzhu has always kept the mission patch he wore during the Shenzhou-16 crewed mission. On July 20, 2023, after approximately eight hours of extravehicular activity, Zhu Yangzhu became the first spaceflight engineer in China to conduct an EVA.

In the depths of space, his movements were precise, composed, and steady. Looking down at the Earth, he saw clusters of white clouds, the clear outlines of continents, the mouth of the Yellow River where it meets the sea — the magnificent rivers and mountains of the motherland rendered in concrete form. "I am grateful to our great motherland for lifting us up to realize our dream of spaceflight." Recalling that moment, he still cannot conceal his emotion.

"Returning from space is not the end, but a new beginning." In the face of honors, Zhu Yangzhu quickly reset to zero and devoted himself fully to preparing for the next mission.

The Shenzhou-23 crew is a combination of spacecraft pilot, spaceflight engineer, and payload specialist. Spacecraft pilot Zhang Zhiyuan is "steady and reserved, grounded and diligent"; payload specialist Li Jiaying is "careful and optimistic, intelligent and resilient." The three are close in age and temperament, sharing the common quality of being "gentle yet resolute": they support one another, making the space station a "home in space"; they are firm and unwavering, never compromising on standards.

As commander, Zhu Yangzhu understands that the team is the key to success. He has distilled two formulas: "1+1+1=1" and "1+1+1>3." The first represents unity of thought and alignment of goals — binding together the strengths of members from different cohorts and backgrounds into a single force. The second means complementary capabilities and compounding advantages, making the collective force far exceed the sum of its parts.

To forge an outstanding crew, Zhu Yangzhu has invested enormous effort. Given that Li Jiaying's training cycle was short, he drew on his own experience to explain things in detail, demanding "one more run-through" to ensure solid mastery of procedures. He emphasized: "Training must not only drill operations — one must understand the principles, know the logic, and be able to adapt. Only by drawing inferences from one case can one meet the unknown challenges of space."

Earlier this year, the crew conducted a two-week full-mission flight procedure simulation exercise, carrying out fully enclosed drills in a one-to-one scale experimental module of the three-module, two-spacecraft space station combination, following the exact work rhythm of space operations. Li Jiaying managed supplies and recorded experiments; Zhang Zhiyuan focused on platform maintenance; Zhu Yangzhu coordinated the overall picture. Work had someone to lend a hand; details had someone to flag them.

At the debrief, Zhu Yangzhu noted: "The value of teamwork lies in perspective-taking. Commands must be clear and easy to understand; ground-to-orbit communication requires mutual understanding; teammates must take on more responsibility for one another." The drills gave them a taste of real life in space, and in solving problems together they forged an unshakeable confidence and collective strength.

When asked about the physical and psychological challenges facing the crew member who will undergo a one-year on-orbit stay, Zhu Yangzhu was calm and composed. He views the 365 days as a "Space Long March," holding to the pragmatic attitude of "eat one bite at a time, walk one step at a time" — focusing on conducting each experiment with precision, performing each operation to standard, and caring for his crewmates' physical and mental wellbeing.

"There is no need to worry too far ahead — do each present thing to the utmost." This composure stems from Zhu Yangzhu's personal creed: a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Years ago, climbing Mount Tai, he witnessed a septuagenarian with limited mobility reach the summit through sheer willpower. "In that moment I understood: no matter how lofty the goal, nothing surpasses steadfast, down-to-earth persistence. Focus on walking each step well, give your full effort, and persevere over time — you will reach your dream."

This expedition toward the vast river of stars will once again bear witness to the loyalty and glory of China's astronauts in the new era, pressing forward with courage and resolve.

Zhang Zhiyuan, male, Han ethnicity, native of Baiyin, Gansu Province, holds a bachelor's degree. Born June 1986, enlisted September 2006, joined the Chinese Communist Party March 2011. He is a Grade-3 astronaut in the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps, holding the rank of Air Force Colonel. He previously served as a first-class pilot in an Air Force aviation unit. In September 2020, he was selected as a spacecraft pilot in China's third cohort of astronauts. Following comprehensive evaluation, he was selected for the Shenzhou-23 crewed mission crew.

Spacecraft Pilot Zhang Zhiyuan —

Original Aspiration Firm as Rock, Reaching for the Sky

■ PLA Daily Reporter Xu Xiaolong, Special Correspondent Zhan Kang

At the Wentian Pavilion of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Zhang Zhiyuan — executing a crewed spaceflight mission for the first time — gazes with steady, resolute eyes that hold within them boundless longing for the vast sky.

In days past, he flew fighter jets over deserts and patrolled sea and sky; now, from an orbital track hundreds of kilometers above, he will gaze back with deep feeling at the place where his dreams took flight.

The Yellow River surges down from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, tracing a magnificent "S"-shaped channel through Baiyin, Gansu, nourishing the fertile land on both banks. In the autumn of 1986, Zhang Zhiyuan was born in a small town on the banks of the Yellow River; his parents were teachers. His childhood memories hold both the play of ditches in the fields and the strictness of mandatory review of lessons after dinner.

To supplement the family's income, his father traveled back and forth between school, fields, and market before dawn and after dark, giving young Zhang Zhiyuan an early taste of life's hardships and shaping his character of industriousness and diligence. After school, he would often take the initiative to help his family, and studied all the harder.

At the National Day parade of 1999, a magnificent "eagle formation" swept over Tiananmen Square, and the image of pilots saluting from their cockpits was deeply imprinted on Zhang Zhiyuan's mind. In his final year of high school, an Air Force pilot recruitment poster ignited a flame in his heart: "I want to be a pilot too!"

Thanks to the strong physique built by running and swimming along the Yellow River, Zhang Zhiyuan passed the preliminary and secondary selections and was admitted to the Air Force Aviation University. Upon receiving his acceptance letter, he set off alone on an eastbound train. The surging Yellow River gradually faded from view; he could not have anticipated that this journey would carry him to heights never before reached, ultimately allowing him to gaze from space with deep feeling upon the beautiful rivers and mountains that raised him.

From flight cadet to pilot, the path was marked by brutal attrition. Before dawn broke, Zhang Zhiyuan was already on the parade ground doing extra long-distance running and upper-body strength training. In theoretical study, every formula, every principle, every set of data — he ground through them all and committed them to memory. Day after day, what sustained him was the firm conviction to fly into the blue sky.

Zhang Zhiyuan vividly remembers his first solo flight. The roar of the engine, the vast sky outside the canopy taking his breath away, and with it an unprecedented sense of control. Ten thousand meters above the earth, he glimpsed for the first time the grandeur of mountains and rivers — the romance and glory that belong to pilots.

After graduation, Zhang Zhiyuan flew to China's northwest, converting to new-model fighter aircraft, participating in exercises, and carrying out various missions, accumulating more than 1,200 flight hours and tempering himself into an eagle soaring over the snow-covered highlands. During one high-altitude transit mission, danger struck without warning: the rotational speed of one of the aircraft's engines suddenly dropped. Below was an unbroken range of snow-capped mountains; within hundreds of kilometers along the route there was no alternate airfield; the prospects for survival by ejection were slim.

"Even if there is only a one-percent chance, we must get the aircraft and its payload to the destination!" Zhang Zhiyuan and the front-seat pilot worked in seamless coordination, precisely calculating distance, altitude, airspeed, and fuel, skillfully using brief afterburner ignitions to gain altitude, and ultimately landing safely at the destination airfield.

After landing, the two men clasped hands tightly, conveying the flood of emotions that comes with surviving a brush with death. The cool-headed courage he demonstrated in successfully handling that emergency became the bedrock of resolve that would later launch Zhang Zhiyuan's astronaut career.

The road to space was far more arduous than imagined. In the third-cohort astronaut selection, from preliminary to secondary rounds, Zhang Zhiyuan cleared one hurdle after another — rigorous medical examinations, psychological tests, and in particular his first experience in the centrifuge: "an enormous pressure bearing down," the body instinctively resisting, the head shaking violently, while he still had to remain conscious and respond to questions…

After being selected into China's third cohort of astronauts, foundational theoretical study was yet another obstacle. Confronted with abstruse theories in aerodynamics, thermodynamics, and flight vehicle control, he crammed like a "transfer student" — asking instructors, asking teammates, consulting references — and finally cleared the theoretical hurdle. Immediately thereafter, a succession of high-difficulty training exercises continuously challenged his physical and psychological limits. But for Zhang Zhiyuan, the greatest challenge was not the hardship of training — it was being passed over multiple times in the rigorous crew selection process.

From the Shenzhou-16 crewed mission onward, Zhang Zhiyuan's cohort-mates had been realizing their dreams of reaching the sky one by one. "Looking back now, I didn't understand the patterns of crewed spaceflight missions deeply enough at the time." Zhang Zhiyuan understood that he had to break through the flight mindset formed over many years and reconstruct a rigorous, systematic, absolutely rational professional logic for spaceflight. "Like shedding a shell — painful, but only through this can one be reborn." He refined himself bit by bit, only to better integrate into the crewed spaceflight endeavor of "ten thousand people behind one rifle."

Entering the Astronaut Corps, the words "The interests of the motherland above all else" (祖国利益高于一切) are prominently displayed. The astronaut dormitory is built brick by red brick; Zhang Zhiyuan felt himself to be one such brick — on China's journey toward the cosmos, laying roads, building bridges, erecting ladders, with an ordinary body lifting up an extraordinary dream.

"As long as one has a dream and dares to persevere, even the most insignificant individual can create a miracle." Today, the child who once gazed up at the sky from the banks of the Yellow River is about to fly into the depths of the stars as a member of humanity's team exploring space, in pursuit of answers yet further away.

With spaceflight imminent, facing his children, Zhang Zhiyuan described the long space journey lightly as "a business trip away from home." This Shenzhou-23 crewed mission adds multiple new human science research projects. "We must leave behind invaluable physiological data on Chinese people in the space environment." He is determined to cooperate with every experiment rigorously and meticulously.

Zhang Zhiyuan harbors a gentle wish deep in his heart — to plant a sunflower in space, as a symbol of the power to forever follow the light. In his personal effects bag, he has carefully packed zodiac figurines of his family members; his family has also prepared several letters for him to open as "mystery box" surprises at specific moments in space. During the mission, he will also celebrate a birthday in space with special significance.

At this moment, Zhang Zhiyuan and his crewmates have entered the final preparation phase. For all procedures and emergency contingency plans, the crew has conducted hundreds upon thousands of repetitive drills, waiting only for the order to depart and fly to "Tiangong."

Li Jiaying, female, Han ethnicity, native of Shunde, Guangdong Province, holds a doctoral degree. Born November 1982 in Hong Kong, began working September 2006, serving as a Superintendent in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Police Force. In June 2024, she was selected as a payload specialist in China's fourth cohort of astronauts. Following comprehensive evaluation, she was selected for the Shenzhou-23 crewed mission crew.

Payload Specialist Li Jiaying —

The Bauhinia Blooms, Illuminating the River of Stars

■ PLA Daily Reporter Zhu Baiyan, Special Correspondent Zhan Kang

When the Shenzhou-23 crewed mission crew made its official appearance at the Wentian Pavilion, among the three astronauts, the sole female member, Li Jiaying, became the center of attention — she is the first astronaut from Hong Kong.

A delicate appearance, a warm smile, and approachable words — these are the first impressions Li Jiaying makes. Having grown up in Hong Kong, she was admitted to the University of Hong Kong's computer science program on the strength of outstanding grades, going on to earn a doctoral degree.

In 2012, Li Jiaying turned down lucrative career opportunities elsewhere and joined the Technical Services Division of the Hong Kong Police Force. Drawing on top-tier professional capability and solid knowledge, she quickly became a core member of the division, specializing in digital forensics and cybersecurity, using technology as a shield to quietly safeguard the peace of the city.

"The experience in the police force tempered my will and cultivated in me the qualities of perseverance, fearlessness in the face of difficulty, and careful precision." Li Jiaying acknowledged that this experience laid a solid foundation for her becoming a qualified astronaut.

In 2022, China launched its fourth astronaut selection, and for the first time selected payload specialists from Hong Kong and Macao. Carrying her aspiration for the space program and her wish to contribute to the motherland, Li Jiaying resolutely applied.

In June 2024, the selection results were announced: Li Jiaying stood out from 120 applicants from the Hong Kong region, becoming the only payload specialist selected from Hong Kong, and entered the China Astronaut Research and Training Center for comprehensive and systematic training. "When I learned I had been selected, I was extremely excited and happy — I almost couldn't believe it," she said with emotion. "I am grateful for the country's support in giving me the opportunity to participate in such a sacred and glorious mission."

In August of the same year, Li Jiaying joined the Astronaut Corps together with the other nine astronauts of the fourth cohort. She solemnly put away the bauhinia badge of the Hong Kong Police Force and put on the blue mission patch of a Chinese astronaut. From police badge to astronaut patch, every step she has taken has been on a journey of "unity of home and nation" (家国同心).

When she first joined the corps, Li Jiaying's Mandarin spoken with a Hong Kong accent at times caused communication difficulties. With the accompaniment of teachers and teammates, she studied and practiced diligently, improving day by day, and in the collective felt a warmth like that of family. From entering the Astronaut Corps to being selected for the Shenzhou-23 crew, she took only a little over a year — the shortest period in history — yet the training standards and assessment requirements were not lowered by a single degree. This meant she had to endure higher-intensity, overloaded training within a limited timeframe.

A massive volume of theoretical study, various specialized practical exercises, and full-process mission training arrived one after another, with high difficulty and high density layered upon each other, constituting an unprecedented and severe challenge.

The astronaut corps has always emphasized "veterans leading newcomers" (以老带新); experienced astronauts, amid their own busy training schedules, guided Li Jiaying attentively and shared everything they knew. One experienced astronaut accompanied her for extra practice connecting spacecraft pipelines, teaching techniques hands-on, helping her grasp the need to "apply deft force" rather than "rely on brute strength."

Seventy-two hours of sleep deprivation, six days and five nights of survival in a dark cave, jungle traversal, desert extreme survival… field training under multiple conditions — each one a dual extreme test of physiology and psychology. Li Jiaying consistently met these challenges with optimism and resilience: "No matter how difficult something is, it will 'reach its end.' I have always believed that happiness is not just a mood — it is a choice." She regards the Lion Rock spirit (狮子山精神) of self-reliance in adversity and never giving up as a belief that resonates with the spirit of crewed spaceflight.

Looking back to the starting point of her dream of spaceflight, Li Jiaying clearly remembers the moment of excitement in 2003 when she and her parents watched together as China's first astronaut, Yang Liwei, made his historic flight. Her father, whose ancestral home is in Shunde, Guangdong, once relayed to her the heartfelt words of an elderly overseas Chinese: "However high the Chinese spacecraft flies, that is how high overseas Chinese and compatriots abroad will hold their heads." The tears brimming in her father's eyes were deeply imprinted on her heart. During her training at the Astronaut Corps, she had the privilege of hearing Yang Liwei recount this story in person, and was once again profoundly moved.

From looking up at a television screen, to being selected into the fourth cohort of astronauts, to departing for space — the leap being made is not Li Jiaying's alone… "It is precisely because of the quiet dedication of generation after generation that the nation's space program has grown ever stronger. I am only one representative; toward the many unsung heroes, I hold reverence and gratitude." She said this with deep feeling.

During her six months on orbit, Li Jiaying will be primarily responsible for space science experiments and related tasks. After long and solid training, she is full of confidence. The full-mission flight procedure simulation exercise, in which the crew worked in seamless coordination, gave her even greater assurance. She said calmly and firmly: "I want to complete the mission as well as I possibly can. On the safety side there are double and triple redundancies; I am confident in one hundred percent safety." This composure stems from absolute trust in the nation's crewed spaceflight program.

As the mother of three children, family is Li Jiaying's deepest attachment. The intensive training schedule has meant that time to spend a day's weekend with her family comes only rarely. For this spaceflight, she will bring along drawings made by her children and her husband, so that her family's companionship surrounds her.

Looking ahead to the space journey, Li Jiaying is full of anticipation: experiencing weightlessness and sharing it with her children; looking down at the Earth from space, photographing Hong Kong from a space perspective… As the first astronaut from Hong Kong, spaceflight for her is not only the realization of a personal dream, but also a vivid testament to Hong Kong and the motherland moving forward with one heart and one direction. She once told Hong Kong's young people: "The space station is very far from us, but China's space program and the dream of spaceflight are not far from us at all."

When the bauhinia blooms again in full splendor, Li Jiaying will return from space, carrying stardust and glory, back to this land she deeply loves. "Hong Kong has always shared the same fate as the motherland, bound together by blood. As long as we hold our homeland and nation in our hearts, love life, persist in doing our best, and together contribute our wisdom and strength to Hong Kong and to the country, every person can radiate their own brilliance! The motherland has always been supporting us," she said.

Layout design: Fang Han