Send-off ceremony held for astronauts of Shenzhou-23 mission

A send-off ceremony for the three Chinese astronauts of the Shenzhou-23 crewed space mission was held Sunday in northwest China.

Chinese astronauts Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, as well as Lai Ka-ying from Hong Kong meet the press at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Lai is now poised to make history as the first astronaut from Hong Kong to travel to space, and the country's fourth female space traveler, as a payload specialist for the Shenzhou-23 spaceflight mission.

When a notice appeared in 2022 announcing that China was recruiting its fourth batch of reserve astronauts, and for the first time, opening selection to Hong Kong and Macau, Lai decided to give it a try.

After three rounds of selection, Lai stood out from some 120 candidates from Hong Kong and joined the astronaut team in 2024.

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Lai understands the weight she carries. "Because I come from Hong Kong, I have one more task to serve as a bridge for the space endeavors of Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland," she said. This November, Lai will celebrate her birthday in space.

As for Zhang, he will remain in orbit for one year, the longest continuous stay aboard the Tiangong space station. The return is expected to take place in 2027 through the Shenzhou-24 spaceship.

The year-long mission is aimed at exploring the adaptability and performance limits of humans. Zhang says the mission puts greater demands on his physical and mental conditions.

(Staff reporter, Xinhua and China Daily)

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