Hong Kong candidates in final round of China’s astronaut selection drive, says technology chief

Hong Kong’s technology chief Sun Dong said on Friday that candidates from the city have made it into the final round of the astronaut selection process for China’s space program.

His comments came as a 17-member delegation of the China Manned Space Agency - including four astronauts - spent the last day of their 4-day visit in the city.

The technology chief previously revealed in September that at least two Hong Kong candidates have made it to the final round of China's astronaut selection drive. They were among the 80 candidates recommended by Hong Kong, at least one man and one woman passed the first two of a three-round selection.

Speaking to the press today, Sun said he hoped to deliver good news to Hongkongers soon, which people have been anticipating.

Sun said this is the first time that the country has carried out a selection in Hong Kong, which fully demonstrates the country's love, concern, and support for Hong Kong.

It also reflects the country's recognition and affirmation of the technology sector in Hong Kong, he said, adding that the SAR government will further support educational and scientific research related to aerospace technology in the future.

In October last year the China Manned Space Agency announced it was recruiting 12 to 14 reserve astronauts for space missions, with two payload specialist positions open to candidates from Hong Kong and Macau for the first time.

Over 100 people from Hong Kong signed up and the list was narrowed down to about 80. The payload specialists will be selected from experts in fields related to space science research with at least three years experience.

The position requires a strong background in science or engineering, and involves overseeing highly complex or classified on-board equipment and tasks such as taking astronautical measurements.