Lai Ka-ying, chosen as the city’s first payload specialist in the National Manned Space Program, was recently promoted to superintendent of the Hong Kong Police Force ahead of her 2026 spaceflight mission, according to Sing Tao Headline, The Standard’s sister publication.
Sources indicated that Lai received official notification of her promotion after successfully passing a series of assessments.
Before this advancement, she served as a chief inspector in the Hong Kong Police Force and holds a doctoral degree. She specializes in information technology and computer science.
It is also understood that she was born and raised in Hong Kong and is a mother of three.
Sing Tao previously reported that Lai was seconded to the Security Bureau and has been training in Beijing since 2023, qualifying as an astronaut.
The recruitment for the country’s fourth batch of astronauts began in October 2022, culminating in the selection of ten candidates in June last year, which includes eight space pilots and two payload specialists from the two SARs.
Last week, spokesman for the China Manned Space Agency Lin Xiqiang announced that the Hong Kong and Macau astronauts have quickly adapted to their work and living environments, with expectations to embark on their first spaceflight mission as early as next year.
(Cheng Wong)
