China to launch Shenzhou-23 to Tiangong Sunday at 11:10 EDT
China is gearing up to send its Shenzhou-23 mission to the Tiangong space station this Sunday, May 24.
The Long March 2F rocket rolled out last week, and pre-launch checks wrapped up smoothly.
Liftoff is set for 11:10am EDT (1510 GMT), marking another big moment for China's space program.
Shenzhou-21 crew returns May 29
Shenzhou-23 will swap out the current crew, who have stayed in orbit longer than planned.
The names of the three new astronauts are still under wraps until final checks are done.
This mission could set a new record if one astronaut ends up spending a full year on Tiangong, depending on future plans with Pakistani visitors.
Meanwhile, the Shenzhou-21 crew returns May 29, using an emergency spacecraft after the Shenzhou-20 vehicle was damaged by debris, a reminder of how far China's human spaceflight has come.