An electric atmosphere swept from the edge of the Gobi Desert to Hong Kong on Sunday night, as thrilled residents erupted into cheers to celebrate the historic launch of the Shenzhou-23 space mission featuring the city’s first astronaut, Lai Ka-ying.
Lai, a police superintendent and a mother of three, is serving as the payload specialist for the mission.
At a Wong Chuk Hang student dorm of the University of Hong Kong, where Lai, 43, completed her doctoral degree in computer science, more than 50 students, staff and alumni gathered ahead of lift-off to witness the moment.
Chanting university slogans, they waved national and Hong Kong flags, cheering as the Long March-2F rocket carrying the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft cleared the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu province in northwestern mainland China.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Lai is the fourth Chinese woman to go into space and the country’s first female payload specialist. The three-member crew on the mission was expected to take 3½ hours to reach the Tiangong space station.
Among those watching in Hong Kong was Joe Kong Yu-cho, a retired computer forensic scientist who first met Lai in 2012 on a research team. They worked on separate projects but would join meetings to discuss their work.
“Ka-ying is very kind and was willing to help us with our research. Despite being an expert, she was very humble,” Kong said.
“She has always worked so hard, and we are all so happy for her. None of us expected that someone from an information and technology background could actually go to space – she has given us all hope.”
Many of the students and staff said they hoped Lai could return to her alma mater, where she spent more than 10 years, after the mission to share her experiences.
Yuan Shuyi, a first-year electrical and electronic engineering undergraduate, said she felt “immense pride” as both a student of HKU and a woman, and was inspired by Lai.
“The discussion on building a ‘space city’ is heated, and I believe technologies like chips and AI will have extensive applications in aerospace engineering in the future – I would for sure consider such applications as part of my career development,” she said.
“I really hope she can come to our university to share her experience of going into space ... and what led her down the path to becoming an astronaut.”
Former health minister Sophia Chan Siu-chee, now serving as a professor at HKU’s school of public health, said she hoped students would be inspired Lai to pursue their dreams.
“HKU has always been conducting research in this field. If students are interested in pursuing further development, we have the resources they need in place,” she said.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu offered his congratulations after the successful launch and paid tribute to the crew members.
He said it marked the first time a payload expert from Hong Kong had taken part in a mission, vowing the city could transform from a “supporter” of the country’s great aerospace endeavours into an “executor” with the nation’s support.
“This not only demonstrates Hong Kong’s capability in contributing to the country’s development into an aerospace power, but also showcases how Hong Kong can better integrate into and serve the overall national development,” he said.
Lee added the government would seize the opportunity of having a Hong Kong expert taking part in a national space flight mission to further enhance popular science education and inspire young people to engage in the field of innovation and technology.
Earlier, Hongkongers who gathered to witness the launch hailed Lai as an “immense encouragement” as they watched the send-off ceremony for the crew in Jiuquan.
Astronauts Lai, Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan were met with cheers at the Wentian Pavilion in Dongfeng Aerospace City in Gansu before they headed to the launch site in the Gobi Desert.
At the launch centre, Tse Yi-lam, a member of the Youth Link initiative of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, said she was deeply moved by the milestone for the city.
“Knowing that it’s possible for Hong Kong to produce its own astronaut provides immense encouragement for the city, especially for young people like us,” Tse said, adding she felt like she was seeing her idol at a concert.
“Everyone wanted to cheer her on because we know she went through a tremendous amount of training and invested so much time to finally reach the moment of departing to space.
“Seeing her in the flesh made everyone so thrilled and excited, especially after we travelled over 10 hours from Hong Kong to get to Jiuquan.”
Also at the ceremony was Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk Hau-yip, who told the South China Morning Post that Lai, as a police officer, had shown exceptional resilience, reflecting the core values of the force.
While acknowledging the role of formal training, Cheuk emphasised that Lai’s accomplishments ultimately stemmed from personal character and determination.
“I believe the training our force provided gave her the physical and mental willpower to cope with this challenge and such an arduous task,” he said.
While aboard the space station, the crew will conduct more than 100 scientific experiments.
One crew member will remain in orbit for a year to study the long-term effects on astronaut health and to improve in-orbit medical support, while the other two, including Lai, will return after six months.
Lai was previously attached to the police force’s technical services division before being transferred to the Security Bureau.
She was selected as an astronaut in May 2024 after the China Manned Space Agency expanded its recruitment drive to include Hong Kong and Macau for the first time in 2022. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
