The China Manned Space Agency officially announced on May 23 that the crew for Shenzhou-23 consists of spaceflight engineer Zhu Yangzhu (commander), spaceflight pilot Yang Zhiyuan, and payload specialist Li Jiaying. The manned spacecraft is scheduled to launch at 23:08 Beijing time on May 24 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. On the morning of May 23, all three astronauts met with domestic and international media at the Wentian Pavilion. One member of this crew is set to undertake a one-year mission; however, his identity remains undisclosed.
This crew has set multiple records: it is the first team comprising astronauts from both the third and fourth batches. Zhu Yangzhu is the first spaceflight engineer to serve as commander, as well as the first third-batch astronaut to hold that role; he previously participated in the Shenzhou-16 mission. Both Yang Zhiyuan and Li Jiaying are making their inaugural spaceflights. Li Jiaying is the first female payload specialist selected from Hong Kong and Macao under this program, and also the first fourth-batch astronaut to fly — her selection indeed aligns with the ‘Bauhinia’ and ‘Fairy’ motifs featured on the Shenzhou-23 mission emblem, making her the very first Hong Kong resident to venture into space.