Lai Ka-ying selected for Shenzhou-23 mission as HK’s historic first astronaut

Hong Kong has marked a historic milestone in space exploration with the selection of its first-ever astronaut for an upcoming national mission scheduled to depart this weekend.

The China Manned Space Agency announced on Saturday that Lai Ka-ying, a former member of the Hong Kong Police Force, has been chosen as a payload specialist for the Shenzhou-23 spaceflight mission.

Lai is part of the 4th batch of Chinese astronauts and is the 1st person from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to be selected for such a role.

Her appointment has drawn praise from Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who congratulated her on achieving this significant breakthrough for the city.

The mission is set to blast off at 11.08pm tomorrow from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center located in northwest China. Joining Lai on the 3-person crew are Zhu Yangzhu, who will serve as the mission commander and flight engineer, and Zhang Zhiyuan, the spacecraft pilot.

While Zhu has previous experience from the Shenzhou-16 mission, this will be the 1st spaceflight for both Lai and Zhang, the latter of whom served as an air force pilot prior to his selection.

In addition to the historic inclusion of a Hong Kong astronaut, the agency revealed that the Shenzhou-23 mission will feature an ambitious long-term research component.

One member of the crew is scheduled to remain in orbit for a 1-year stay to conduct specific experiments.

This extended duration reflects the growing capabilities of the national space program and its commitment to advancing long-term human presence and scientific research in space.

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