Hong Kong's first astronaut Lai Ka-ying lifts off into space on Shenzhou-23 mission
Hong Kong's first selected astronaut, Lai Ka-ying, has lifted off aboard China's Shenzhou-23 mission bound for the Tiangong space station. She will serve as the science-payload specialist on the three-person crew.
China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) spokesman Lin Xiqiang said the launch took place in the early hours of local time at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre aboard a Long March 2F rocket. The crew of commander Cai Xuzhe, systems engineer Song Lingdong and science-payload specialist Lai Ka-ying will spend six months aboard Tiangong.
Lai is a neurology researcher at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, with a previous specialism in cardiology. CMSEO said that, of the 56 experiments planned for the mission, neuromuscular adaptation and semiconductor crystal-growth studies are the headline activities.
Hong Kong chief executive John Lee said the ceremony was 'a moment of historic pride' for the city. CMSEO also said international-cooperation elements are being evaluated for the Shenzhou-24 mission scheduled for the end of February; talks are reported to be under way between the European Space Agency (ESA) and China on a joint science-satellite project targeted for late 2026.
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