China on Sunday launched its Shenzhou-23 mission, marking a major step in the country’s ambition to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030.

The mission, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert, will see a Chinese astronaut spend a full year in orbit for the first time as Beijing expands its long-term space exploration programme.

State broadcaster CCTV showed the Long March 2F rocket blasting off at 11:08 pm local time in a cloud of flames and smoke. About 10 minutes later, the spacecraft successfully separated from the rocket and entered orbit, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

“The astronauts are in good condition, and the launch has been a complete success,” the agency said.

The mission also marks the first-ever spaceflight by an astronaut from Hong Kong, Li Jiaying, also known as Lai Ka-ying in Cantonese. The 43-year-old previously served in the Hong Kong police force.

Other members of the crew include Zhu Yangzhu, a 39-year-old space engineer, and Zhang Zhiyuan, a former air force pilot making his first trip to space.

The astronauts are expected to conduct scientific experiments in life sciences, medicine, materials science and fluid physics aboard China’s Tiangong space station.

A key aspect of the mission is a planned year-long stay in orbit by one of the astronauts to study the long-term effects of microgravity on the human body.

The CMSA said the astronaut selected for the one-year mission would be announced later depending on the progress of the mission.

Experts say the experiment is critical for China’s preparations for future lunar and Mars missions.

Richard de Grijs, an astrophysicist at Macquarie University, said prolonged space missions could expose astronauts to bone density loss, muscle wasting, radiation, sleep disorders and psychological fatigue.

He added that reliable air and water recycling systems, as well as medical emergency management, remain crucial for long-duration missions.

China has steadily expanded its space programme over the past three decades, investing billions of dollars to compete with the United States, Russia and Europe in space exploration.

The Shenzhou-23 mission is also linked to China’s plan to develop the International Lunar Research Station, a manned scientific base expected to reach its first phase by 2035.

China is also preparing for an orbital test flight of its new Mengzhou spacecraft in 2026. The spacecraft is expected to replace the ageing Shenzhou series and eventually transport astronauts to the Moon.

Beijing additionally plans to host its first foreign astronaut from Pakistan aboard the Tiangong station before the end of the year.

China achieved a major milestone in 2019 when its Chang’e-4 became the first spacecraft to land on the far side of the Moon. In 2021, China also landed a rover on Mars.

The country has operated its own space station after being excluded from the International Space Station programme in 2011 following a United States ban on cooperation between NASA and China.