City's first astronaut earns full confidence from longtime advisor

As the city's first to explore outer space, Lai Ka-ying has earned the full confidence of her master's and doctoral advisor, Chow Kam-pui, to complete the mission with the Hong Kong spirit. 

Chow, an honorary associate professor at the School of Computing and Data Science of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), made the statement during a radio program interview on Monday. He recalled Lai completed her bachelor's in Computer Science, master of Philosophy and doctorate in computer science at HKU, later shifting her focus from cryptography to digital forensics for cybercrime. 

Describing Lai as "a very cautious scientist,” Chow noted Lai would repeatedly verify data and demonstrate strong teamwork and leadership skills during complex projects. 

Addressing doubts about a computer science background in assisting a space mission, he explained that the spacecraft itself is a giant computer. With Lai's meticulous nature, problem-solving skills, and rigorous training, Chow expressed strong confidence in her capability as a payload specialist to handle unexpected situations in space. 

He recounted the last meeting with Lai two years ago at a class reunion, where she revealed she was undergoing astronaut selection. "I was surprised," he admitted, as he never imagined the student serving in the police force was interested in the space world.  "Watching her launch yesterday was nerve-wracking but happy. I hope she stays healthy and that everything goes smoothly,” he said. 

Speaking on the same program, Su Hui, project lead and chair professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, highlighted the home-grown camera which will be operated by Lai during the space mission. 

Developed at HKUST, Su explained the Multi-Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory — known as MUSICO or the "Eye For Space"--  is the world's first lightweight, high-resolution point-source detector for greenhouse gases.

Weighing just 80kg, which is smaller than a washing machine, Su noted the space station camera captures a 50km-by-50km area , covering all of Hong Kong and its waters at 100-meter resolution. 

Su added that the device can pinpoint emissions from factory chimneys just 100 meters apart, enabling the tracing of the greenhouse gas source along with wind data. 

She expressed confidence in the technology in supporting China’s carbon neutrality goals and can help utilities like CLP Power assess their decarbonization efforts.

"It's completely made in Hong Kong and operated by Hong Kong," Su said, believing that the achievement of the city's first astronaut operating a Hong Kong-developed instrument is a recognition by the nation. 

She expressed hope that more teenagers will be motivated to join the STEM sector, adding that HKUST is also involved in the Chang'e-8 mission scheduled for 2029, developing a lightweight space robot.

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