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Hong Kong's first astronaut reaches Tiangong space station
Li Jiaying, a 43-year-old police officer and mother of three from Hong Kong, became the city's first astronaut after successfully docking at China's Tiangong space station late Sunday. She serves as the payload scientist on the three-person Shenzhou-23 crew, marking a milestone for both Hong Kong and China's space program.
Mission objectives and crew details
The Shenzhou-23 spacecraft launched from the Gobi Desert at 23:08 local time (15:08 GMT) aboard a Long March 2-F rocket. The crew, which also includes space engineer Zhu Yangzhu, 39, and former air force pilot Zhang Zhiyuan, 39, will conduct experiments on the effects of microgravity on the human body, among other studies.
One crew member will remain in orbit for a full year as part of a critical long-duration experiment, though authorities have not yet decided who will take on the extended stay. The mission is a key step in China's broader goal of landing astronauts on the moon by 2030.
Historic significance for Hong Kong
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee hailed Li's participation as a "historic" moment for the city. Li, who cited China's first astronaut, Yang Liwei, as her inspiration, expressed her excitement ahead of the launch. "This is a rare chance. Why not try?" she told Xinhua news agency. As she boarded the spacecraft, she added, "How high our Chinese spacecraft flies, that's how high we can hold our heads high," according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Analysts suggest that Li's success could bolster patriotism among Hong Kong's youth, aligning with broader efforts by Chinese authorities to highlight local achievements.
China's growing space ambitions
The Shenzhou-23 mission underscores China's rapid advancements in space exploration. Since 2021, the country has routinely sent astronauts to Tiangong for six-month stays, but the upcoming year-long mission will test new limits for both humans and equipment. Richard de Grijs, an astrophysicist at Macquarie University in Australia, noted that such extended stays represent a shift in operational capabilities compared to earlier, shorter missions.
China's recent achievements include the Chang'e-6 mission in 2024, which successfully retrieved rock samples from the far side of the moon. Later this year, the country plans to conduct an orbital test flight for the Mengzhou spacecraft, designed to eventually carry astronauts to the lunar surface.
Global space race intensifies
The Shenzhou-23 launch comes as China and the United States accelerate their efforts to return humans to the moon. While China targets a 2030 lunar landing, the U.S. aims to achieve the same by 2028, setting the stage for a new era of competition in space exploration.
"A year in orbit pushes both hardware and humans into a different operational regime,"
Richard de Grijs, Astrophysicist, Macquarie University
