Hongkongers who gathered to witness the historic launch of the Shenzhou-23 mission hailed the city’s first astronaut, Lai Ka-ying, as an “immense encouragement” as they watched the send-off ceremony for the crew in Jiuquan on Sunday night.
Astronauts Lai, Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan were met with cheers at the Wentian Pavilion in Dongfeng Aerospace City in Gansu province in mainland China before they headed to the launch site in the Gobi Desert.
Lai, a 43-year-old police superintendent and a mother of three, is serving as the payload specialist for the mission aboard China’s Tiangong space station.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Lai is the fourth Chinese woman to go into space and the country’s first female payload specialist.
At the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, Tse Yi-lam, a member of the Youth Link initiative of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, said he was deeply moved by the milestone for the city.
