Hong Kong’s first astronaut, Lai Ka-ying, joined her fellow Shenzhou-23 crew members on Wednesday morning to host a live space lecture from the Tiangong space station for students in Hong Kong and Macao.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who attended the event at Lai's alma mater, Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College, alongside Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin, said Lai's story proves that space dreams are within reach for local youth through dedication. He noted that Hong Kong research teams continue to contribute to the nation's space program, encouraging students to excel in science and mathematics to support future technological development.
Mission commander Colonel Zhu Yangzhu and astronaut Zhang Zhiyuan joined Lai in detailing the Tiangong space station's architecture, which comprises the Tianhe core module alongside the Wentian and Mengtian lab modules, explaining how recycled water supports daily life and generates oxygen in orbit.
Speaking in Cantonese from orbit, Lai gave students a virtual tour of her living quarters on the Tiangong space station, where she has been stationed for three and a half months. She showcased specialized space meals including black pepper beef tenderloin, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and homemade yogurt, while demonstrating how astronauts heat food and bake cakes using a hot-air oven. She introduced the space vegetable garden growing sweet potatoes, mint, and lettuce, where Zhu sampled a fresh lettuce leaf on camera.
Handing a model of the Hong Kong Orchid Tree to Zhu, Lai passed the floor to the mission commander to highlight the station's science facilities. Zhu introduced specialized science cabinets, including a containerless material processing facility and the High Micro-gravity Level Rack (HMGR) designed to test general relativity.
To illustrate life in microgravity, Lai demonstrated physical workouts on a space treadmill using a harness and elastic bands, and showed how water adheres to a towel rather than dripping when wrung in space. Personal items in her sleeping area included family photos, miniature models of Hong Kong food, and "The Little Grape," the Hong Kong Police Force mascot.
Answering student questions about local flavors, Lai revealed her longing for egg waffles upon her return to Hong Kong. She also shared her experiences with tough pre-flight conditioning, citing desert survival training in ground temperatures reaching 70 degrees Celsius and a 72-hour sleep deprivation test as ultimate challenges of willpower and teamwork.
