CHINA - Spacecraft Launches 3 Astronauts

China launched the Shenzhou 23 spacecraft with three astronauts heading to its space station, including one set to stay in space for a year.

The spacecraft blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China. The much-anticipated launch comes as China prepares for its first crewed lunar landing by 2030.

The crew is set to conduct dozens of science and application projects, state media said. They are also expected to complete an in-orbit rotation with the crew of Shenzhou 21, who has been at the Tiangong space station for more than 200 days.

As China steps up its space program, its astronauts have carried out multiple missions to the Tiangong space station, developed after China was effectively excluded from the International Space Station on U.S. concerns over national security.

China’s space station Tiangong, which translates to “Heavenly Palace,” first hosted the country’s crew in 2021. Last year, an emergency mission in the Shenzhou program, which means “Divine Vessel,” returned a team of astronauts stranded on the space station due to a damaged spacecraft.

-apnews.com, 24 May 2026

Commentary: China’s progress in space science and technology is quite remarkable. The first space station was launched on 19 April 1971 by the Soviet Union; it was named Salyut 1, which translates to a salute or fireworks.

Of interest in China’s case is the name Tiangong, meaning “Heavenly Palace,” and the space program Shenzhou, which translates to “Divine Vessel.”

Immense energy and finances are involved in so-called space exploration. What are they attempting to find? Nothing! We read in Psalm 19:1: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handywork.” Job 26:7 proclaims: “He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.”

When realizing how infinite space is, based on the knowledge we now have, we are reminded of Isaiah 40:26: “Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.”

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