Illustration of Lai Ka-ying, Hong Kong's first astronaut, launching on the Shenzhou-23 mission to the Tiangong space station.
Illustration of Lai Ka-ying, Hong Kong's first astronaut, launching on the Shenzhou-23 mission to the Tiangong space station.
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Hong Kong's first astronaut lifts off on Shenzhou-23 mission

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Lai Ka-ying, Hong Kong's first astronaut, launched into space aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft on Sunday evening. The mission marks a milestone for the city as she joins a three-person crew heading to the Tiangong space station.

The Long March-2F rocket carrying Shenzhou-23 lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu province at 11.08pm local time. Mission control confirmed success about 20 minutes later.

Lai, a 43-year-old police superintendent and mother of three, serves as payload specialist. Her first words from space were “feeling good,” according to CCTV.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu praised her in a pre-launch video call, stating her participation reflects the country’s trust in Hong Kong. The crew is expected to reach the Tiangong space station in about 3½ hours.

Vad folk säger

Initial reactions on X celebrate the historic launch of Hong Kong's first astronaut Lai Ka-ying on Shenzhou-23, with users expressing pride in the milestone for Hong Kong and China. Posts from diverse accounts including legislators, media, and enthusiasts highlight the crew's success and her symbolic role. Some share launch details and photos neutrally.

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Lai Ka-ying will join the Shenzhou-23 crew launching on Sunday to the Tiangong space station as payload specialist.

China successfully launched the Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft on Monday to deliver supplies to the Tiangong space station.

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China launched a satellite group on Tuesday to form part of a commercial low-orbit network called the Spacesail Constellation.

NASA's Artemis II mission lifted off successfully on April 1, 2026, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen aboard the Orion spacecraft for the first crewed Moon flyby since Apollo 17. Powered by the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the 10-day test flight will validate critical systems for future lunar landings and Mars missions, looping around the Moon's far side.

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Kuomintang chairwoman Cheng Li-wun experienced a drone-delivered milk tea at Meituan's Shanghai headquarters, calling it a valuable lesson for Taiwan. She paid homage at Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing and urged stronger cross-strait cooperation and peace. The visit covers Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing through Sunday.

Japan's private space company Space One launched its Kairos No. 3 rocket on March 5 from Space Port Kii in Wakayama Prefecture but aborted the flight minutes later. This marks the third setback for the firm aiming to be the first private Japanese entity to place satellites into orbit.

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Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to align the city with national strategies in China’s latest five-year plan and turn Beijing’s assigned “new positionings, functions and missions” into tangible outcomes to drive economic growth. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said he would lead the government in uniting society to proactively align with the 15th five-year plan, which sets China’s economic and social development targets for 2026 to 2030. His comments followed the approval of the plan’s outline by China’s top legislature.

 

 

 

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