The China Manned Space Agency today announced that the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceflight mission will launch at 11:08pm on Sunday.
The three astronauts selected for the mission are Lai Ka-Ying, a payload specialist from Hong Kong, flight engineer Zhu Yangzhu, and pilot Zhang Zhiyuan.
As the first astronaut from Hong Kong to participate in a space mission, Ms Lai thanked the motherland for providing the crew with a platform to fulfil their dreams. She also thanked the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and citizens for their full support.
Having gone through a rigorous training process full of challenges, she had a special message for the young people of Hong Kong, and urged them to contribute their wisdom and energy to Hong Kong and the nation.
Ms Lai, 43, was born and raised in Hong Kong. She is a Police Force superintendent and holds a doctoral degree in computer forensics.
She was selected as a payload specialist in a recruitment exercise for the country’s fourth batch of preparatory astronauts and was later deployed to train at the China Astronaut Research & Training Center.
According to the China Manned Space Agency, Ms Lai has completed eight major categories of training, covering over 200 subjects and amassing a total of more than 1,700 training hours.
She passed the flight qualification assessment with excellent results and completed intensified training in flight tasks.
Chief Executive John Lee congratulated Lai Ka-Ying on contributing Hong Kong’s strength to the nation’s aerospace endeavours.
In recent years, Hong Kong’s scientific research capabilities have integrated with the broader development of the nation’s aerospace initiatives.
The China Manned Space Agency’s Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft was launched earlier this month, carrying a lightweight greenhouse gas sensor developed by Hong Kong universities.
The agency believes that under “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong can leverage its international advantages to attract and cultivate innovation talent, thereby contributing to the nation’s aerospace advancements.
