Hong Kong’s first astronaut, Lai Ka-ying, will deliver a live lesson from space to students and teachers at her alma mater on Wednesday morning, with the 90-minute event broadcast to campuses across the city and streamed live on television.
Lai and her two fellow Shenzhou-23 crew members – mission commander Colonel Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan – will take part in the “Tiangong Class” at Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College.
Representatives from the youth sector and innovation and technology community, as well as a visiting delegation from Macau, will also attend. The session will also be broadcast to students in Macau.
Jointly organised by the Hong Kong and Macau governments and the China Manned Space Agency, the event will feature an expert lecture, in-orbit demonstrations and a question and answer session designed to showcase the space environment.
Astronaut alumna inspires young minds
Form Five student Chan King-lam, who studies physics, chemistry, biology and extended mathematics, said the dialogue inspired him to explore science and he hoped to one day join the country’s research ranks.
“How Lai sacrificed family time for this career really earns our respect and makes me want to refine my science studies,” he said.
He said he was awed to see textbook physics principles demonstrated in microgravity during the broadcast.
“What impressed me most was watching them cook chicken wings and cakes. It really shows how difficult preparing fresh food is in space,” he said.
Form Six student Chan Tsz-ki said she was proud to see an alumna of her school become an astronaut and would take her as a role model in pursuing science.
