China conducts whole-system rehearsal for Shenzhou-23 mission

China conducted a whole-system rehearsal for the launch of its Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Wednesday.

The combination of the spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket was transferred to the launching area on Saturday, with all facilities and equipment at the launch site in good condition, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

All staff involved in the Shenzhou-23 mission participated in the rehearsal, during which functional checks were carried out on subsystems such as the rocket and the spacecraft.

The rehearsal included exercises in launch preparations, ignition and rocket-spaceship separation.

"In terms of the spaceship system, we mainly rehearsed the work at the pre-launching and launching stages at the launch area, and then conducted a comprehensive verification of the spacecraft's interfaces with the launch site, the measurement and control communication system, astronauts and application systems. Tomorrow we will also carry out the final status setup. After completing the setup, we will be ready for launch," said Li Zhe, an engineer from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

The rehearsal also covered a medical examination of the astronauts, and simulated the send-off ceremony, module status setting, and procedures after the entry of astronauts into the spacecraft.

"During the rehearsal, from the technical preparations before departure to the departure, from the confirmation of the status inside the cabin to the launch of the spacecraft, all the processes and operations were carried out precisely and without error in one go. The crew members engaged in good teamwork, while the coordination with the ground command team went smoothly. They completed the rehearsal well, laying a sound foundation for the launch mission. Next, we will review and summarize the whole-system rehearsal. For the astronauts, the most important task is to keep themselves in a good physical and mental condition to ensure the best state for the mission," said Wang Lizhi from the Astronaut Center of China.

China conducts whole-system rehearsal for Shenzhou-23 mission

China on Wednesday staged a grand welcome ceremony for Russian President Vladimir Putin, with both Chinese children and Russian reporters attending the event highlighting the strong people-to-people ties between the two nations.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Putin is visiting China from May 19 to 20. This is Putin's 25th visit to China.

Ahead of the ceremony on Wednesday morning, Chinese Guard of Honor and the military band were in high spirits, well poised for the occasion.

Among the welcoming crowd were Chinese students waving flowers to greet Putin.

One child said he had visited Russia and found the Russian people very warm and friendly. Another boy spoke fondly of the beautiful scenery he saw during a train journey to St. Petersburg. A girl warmly welcomed President Putin to China and wished him a pleasant stay.

A large number of Russian reporters were present to cover the significant event, witnessing firsthand the growing friendship between the two peoples.

Alina Salionova, a reporter from RT, highlighted the education exchanges between the two countries, as this year and the next year were designated as the China-Russia Years of Education.

"This is also the start of the China-Russia Years of Education. There are many Russian students studying in China, and many Chinese students studying in Russia. If you look around at Moscow State University, you will have a sense of familiarity, because there are many spicy hot pot restaurants near Russian universities," she said.

"I think the most significant change is the visa-free policy between Russia and China. This has significantly brought the people of the two countries and the two nations closer," said Nefedova Alena, a reporter of Russian newspaper Izvestia.

Welcoming crowd, reporters attending welcome ceremony for Putin share views on China-Russia friendship