Hong Kong astronaut joins China's space mission launch targeting Moon goals

China is set to launch its Shenzhou-23 mission on May 24, sending a three-person crew to the Tiangong space station, notably including Lai Ka-ying, hailed as Hong Kong's first astronaut. This mission represents a significant milestone for China's ambitious space program, which aims to establish a human presence on the Moon by 2030.

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This is a ... test of our physical and psychological endurance, emergency response capabilities, coordination and teamwork, as well as our ability to work and live in orbit.

The launch is scheduled for 11:08 PM local time from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China. The crew consists of Lai Ka-ying, flight engineer Zhu Yangzhu (who will serve as mission commander), and Zhang Zhiyuan. Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee congratulated Lai on successfully completing the rigorous selection and training process.

Commander Zhu Yangzhu emphasized the mission's focus on testing the crew's physical and psychological endurance, emergency response, and coordination in orbit. The primary objectives include continuing space science and application work, conducting extravehicular activities, and managing cargo transfers. A key aspect of the mission involves one astronaut remaining on the station for a year, a duration that pushes the boundaries of current operational capabilities and provides crucial data for longer-duration spaceflights.

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As mission commander, what I have thought about most is how to make thorough preparations in every aspect and how to lead the team in successfully completing the flight mission with zero mistakes and zero errors.

This extended stay is seen as a vital step towards China's goal of "sustained occupation" of the Tiangong space station and its broader ambitions for lunar exploration and potentially deep-space missions. The Tiangong space station itself is a testament to China's significant investment and progress in space technology, positioning it as a major player alongside the United States and Russia.

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continue carrying out space science and application work, conduct astronauts’ extravehicular activities and cargo transfer in and out of the cabin

China's space program, the third globally to send humans into orbit, has already achieved successes with robotic missions to the Moon and Mars. Under President Xi Jinping, the nation is accelerating its "space dream," with the planned crewed lunar landing by 2030 and the eventual construction of a base on the Moon.

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Arranging for an astronaut to carry out a one-year in-orbit residency experiment is by no means a simple matter of adding together two six-month missions in terms of duration.