LAUNCH OF CHINA’S SHENZHOU-17, Oct 25, 2023, Jiuquan, China, 11:14 pm EDT

Update, October 24:  China confirms the launch is at October 26 11:14 am Beijing Time, which is October 26 03:14 UTC and October 25 11:14 pm EDT.  The crew is:

• Tang Hongbo,
• Tang Shengjie, and
• Jiang Xinlin

Chinese astronauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin will carry out the Shenzhou-17 manned spaceflight mission, and Tang Hongbo will be the commander https://t.co/K6PwpSKSE2 pic.twitter.com/sZDSd1o5Rt

— China Xinhua Sci-Tech (@XHscitech) October 25, 2023

Original Entry: China is getting ready to launch its next crew, Shenzhou-17, to the China Space Station Tiangong-3.

As usual, China is providing very little information about when the launch will take place, but posted photos of the LM-2F launch vehicle and Shenzhou-17 spacecraft rolling out to the launch pad on October 19 and said it would launch “at the appropriate time in the near future.”

Observers of the Chinese program expect the launch on October 26 UTC (October 25 EDT).

Bob Christy (@Orbital Focus) calculates the likely launch time as 03:13:57 UTC (October 25, 11:13:57 pm Eastern Daylight Time) plus or minus 10 seconds.

Launch Advisory Update – based on navigation warnings

Shenzhou 17
Oct 26, 03:14 UTC

It’s the earlier of the two dates and will use the SZ 15 & 16 version of the launch trajectory

My model yields 03:13:57 ±10s https://t.co/CzbNPwpI3D

— Orbital Focus (@OrbitalFocus) October 21, 2023

The Shenzhou-17 crew will replace the three-person Shenzhou-16 crew, which has been aboard since May.

China has not publicly named the members of the Shenzhou-17 crew.

China usually provides live launch coverage on CGTN.