Lai Ka-ying Makes History on Shenzhou-23 Mission
Hong Kong has its first astronaut in space. Lai Ka-ying will join China’s Shenzhou-23 mission to the Tiangong space station. The Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft is targeting a launch at 11:08 pm on Sunday, May 24. Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee called it a “historic moment” for the city.
Lai Ka-ying is a former police officer with a doctorate in computer forensics. She will join the Shenzhou-23 mission as a payload specialist and become the fourth woman astronaut to enter the Chinese space station. Lai was selected for training in 2024 as part of China’s fourth batch of astronauts. That batch comprised 10 candidates: eight pilots and two payload specialists, with the latter two chosen from the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. She is also China’s first female payload specialist selected from those regions. The Hong Kong astronaut Lai Ka-ying flies alongside mission commander Zhu Yangzhu, a veteran of Shenzhou-16, and fellow first-timer Zhang Zhiyuan.
Hong Kong Astronaut Lai Ka-ying: The Mission Itself
Shenzhou-23 will become the 11th crewed mission to visit the Tiangong space station, following the first flight in June 2021. Since then, China has continued rotating teams of three astronauts every six months to keep the station active. Tiangong remains the centrepiece of China’s space program as the country pushes to compete with the United States and Russia through heavy state investment.
Meanwhile, the Shenzhou-23 crew will carry out more than 100 scientific experiments, including studies on zebrafish, mice, and artificial embryos to better understand reproduction in space. In addition, one astronaut may remain in orbit for a full year to examine the long-term effects of space travel on human health. If that happens, the mission will set a new Chinese record for the longest human spaceflight duration.
What Comes After Hong Kong?
The Shenzhou-23 launch also signals what China plans next. After the Hong Kong astronaut, China plans to send a Pakistani national to the station. Two selected candidates from Pakistan are currently undergoing training. China’s broader lunar ambitions also loom large behind this mission. Beijing edges closer to its goal of landing people on the Moon with each crewed mission to Tiangong. The Shenzhou-23 launch marks a new phase of China’s space programme, where the station serves as a platform for regional inclusion as well as scientific research.
