Hong Kong-born astronaut | Space Museum adds Lai Ka-ying and Shenzhou 23 launch data

The crew of the Shenzhou 23 manned spacecraft successfully arrived at the Tiangong space station today, including Hong Kong’s first astronaut, Lai Ka-ying.

Currently, the Hong Kong Space Museum is showcasing a special exhibition titled “Voyage to Space — China’s Manned Space Journey,” as well as China’s first space live-action dome film, “A Space Trip Beyond the Blue Planet.” This morning, the Hong Kong Space Museum also updated the exhibition content, adding information about Lai Ka-ying and the launch of Shenzhou 23. Many parents brought their children along to visit.

After the exhibition update, it has added photos of Lai Ka-ying along with Commander Zhu Yangzhu and spacecraft pilot Zhang Zhiyuan. It also includes the statement: “Hong Kong payload specialist Dr. Lai Ka-ying, who has been on the Shenzhou 23 manned spacecraft since May 2026, has entered the Tiangong space station to carry out a routine stay mission of about six months.” At the same time, it introduces Lai Ka-ying’s background, including that she is an information technology and computer expert, and also the first female payload specialist selected by China from the Hong Kong and Macao regions.

In addition, the permanent exhibition hall on the first floor of the Space Museum has added a segment of training content featuring Lai Ka-ying since yesterday. The segment lasts for more than 1 minute and includes clips previously aired by CCTV showing Lai Ka-ying carrying out microgravity training together with Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan, as well as simulated experiment content, among other materials.