Shenzhou XXIII crew heads to launch tower after a see-off ceremony

Three astronauts participating in the Shenzhou XXIII mission, China's 17th manned spaceflight, set out to the launch tower after a see-off ceremony on Sunday evening in front of their residential building at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert.

Mission commander and spaceflight engineer Colonel Zhu Yangzhu, spacecraft pilot Colonel Zhang Zhiyuan, and science payload specialist Lai Ka-ying, all in white spacesuit, reported to manned space program officials that they were ready for the coming mission and requested permission to embark on the six-month orbital journey.