Hundreds of citizens gathered at a shopping mall in Whampoa on Sunday night to witness the historic launch of Shenzhou-23, which carried Hong Kong's first astronaut Lai Ka-ying into space at 11.08pm.
Mr Lau, who arrived early to watch the launch with fellow citizens, said he felt excited and proud as a Hongkonger to see the city's first astronaut participate in a national space mission, reflecting the central government's recognition of Hong Kong.
Mr Yuen, who has long followed the nation's aerospace developments, said he was thrilled that a payload specialist from Hong Kong was going into space. He noted that Lai, as a fellow Hong Kong youth, being selected for a national mission demonstrates the country's emphasis on Hong Kong and will encourage local young people to pursue aerospace studies and science subjects.
Ms Ting arrived early with a friend, saying she wanted to witness the historic moment as a Hongkonger. Another Ms Ting, who came alone to watch the live broadcast, said she felt excited and nervous, adding that she had dreamed of becoming an astronaut as a child but later gave up due to concerns about her physical fitness.
District councillor Jacky Lee Chiu-yu said the gathering of such a large crowd, even on a holiday when many had left Hong Kong or were at Cheung Chau for the Bun Scrambling Festival, was unprecedented. He said the event demonstrates the central government's recognition of Hong Kong's innovation and technology talent and will help promote the development of the local innovation and technology sector.
