The upcoming Shenzhou-23 spacecraft launch marks a historic milestone for Hong Kong as Dr. Lai Ka-ying, a 43-year-old local payload specialist, prepares to become the city's first-ever astronaut.
Scheduled to blast off on May 24 at 11.08pm, the mission will carry a 3-member crew including commander Zhu Yangzhu and astronaut Zhang Zhiyuan.
Dr. Lai, a mother of 3 children, represents a groundbreaking achievement for the special administrative region, inspiring a generation by transforming from a local Hong Kong youth into a key player in the national space program.
From Hong Kong streets to the cosmos
Dr. Lai grew up entirely within Hong Kong, living on a street lined with bauhinia trees.
Her deep connection to her homeland was forged during the 1997 handover when she was 15 years old.
Standing on the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui, she witnessed police officers changing their badges at midnight, an event that deeply moved her family and shaped her future aspirations.
She later earned a doctorate in computer science from the University of Hong Kong and chose to join the Technical Services Division of the Hong Kong Police Force to serve her community.
Overcoming intensive aerospace training
When the recruitment for China's 4th batch of astronauts began in October 2022, Dr. Lai decided to apply. Despite a history of motion sickness in cars and boats, she excelled during the grueling selection process, enduring blurred vision in the centrifuge and successfully passing 3 rounds of rigorous screening.
By August 2024, she joined the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps as the sole payload specialist from Hong Kong. She attributes her peak physical condition partly to a healthy lifestyle, though she admits a lifelong weakness for the traditional Hong Kong snack, egg waffles.
Building bonds across cultures and hardships
The preparation for the Shenzhou-23 mission was highly condensed, forcing the crew to complete intensive training within just over 1 year.
Dr. Lai endured a 72-hour sleep deprivation test, during which she found herself reflexively speaking Cantonese due to extreme fatigue. She also bonded deeply with her crewmates during survival training in jungles, caves, and deserts.
This close teamwork created a seamless unspoken understanding in the cockpit.
Over months of shared preparation, Dr. Lai even picked up northeastern Chinese slang from her teammates while teaching them everyday Cantonese phrases.
Serving the nation and looking beyond
During the 6-month mission in orbit, Dr. Lai will be primarily responsible for conducting various space science experiments.
Her confidence was solidified after completing a 2-week fully enclosed simulation inside the space station module earlier this year.
Though she has yet to visit iconic landmarks like the Forbidden City or the Great Wall, she looks forward to exploring the country upon her return.
Before the launch, she explained her departure to her 3 children by stating that while her husband would look after their immediate family, she needed to temporarily leave to serve the broader nation.
