The China Manned Space Agency today announced the crew of the Shenzhou-23 mission, which includes Dr. LAI Ka-Ying, a payload specialist from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Dr. Lai will embark on a mission aboard the Tiangong Space Station. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) extends its warmest congratulations and expresses profound pride and excitement at this historic moment.
Prof. Nancy IP, President of HKUST, said: "Dr. Lai Ka-Ying becoming the first Hong Kong payload specialist is not only a historic moment for Hong Kong, but also a powerful testament to the nation's immense trust and deep affection for Hong Kong's young people and scientific talent. The nation's remarkable achievements in space exploration fill Hong Kong people with pride, and it is a great honour for Hong Kong to be able to participate. We are deeply grateful to the nation for its support of the HKSAR. The entire HKUST community wishes Dr. Lai and the team every success and a safe return."
President Ip noted that Hong Kong has long been an active participant in national space endeavors, contributing systems, instruments and technical support for lunar and Mars exploration missions, as well as conducting spaceborne experiments. HKUST's MUSICO project - the only higher-education payload from Hong Kong selected for this round of the Tiangong Space Station program - is a shining example of how Hong Kong's research strength is deeply embedded in the national space development efforts.
HKUST's Unique Payload Aboard the Tiangong Space Station Supporting National Carbon Goals
The "MUSICO" (Multi‑Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory) - the world's first lightweight, high-resolution, high-precision synergistic carbon dioxide and methane point-source detector - was successfully launched aboard the Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft earlier this month and has now arrived at the Tiangong Space Station. It is the first scientific payload from Hong Kong to be deployed on the Tiangong Space Station, marking a historic breakthrough in the city's high-end aerospace instrument development.
Prof. SU Hui, Project Lead and Chair Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Global STEM Professor at HKUST, commented: "As a scientist in Hong Kong, I am immensely proud that our locally trained payload specialist will soon be stationed aboard the Tiangong Space Station. She will operate the MUSICO developed by HKUST - an honor that fills me with great excitement. This achievement fully demonstrates that Hong Kong can not only develop world-leading scientific instruments but also nurture world-class aerospace talent. This is a historic milestone for the entire community. I sincerely hope that this moment will inspire more young people in Hong Kong to pursue STEM education and bravely join the ranks of space exploration."
HKSAR Government's Early Commitment to Supporting Space Technology
The HKSAR Government has long been committed to advancing space technology. The HKUST-led Hong Kong Space Robotics and Energy Center, established with funding under the InnoHK research clusters, is responsible for supporting the completion of international collaboration projects commissioned by the China National Space Administration. This fully demonstrates the HKSAR Government's concrete actions to serve the nation and integrate Hong Kong into the overall national development.
Integrating Hong Kong into the National 15th Five Year Plan and Writing a New Chapter of Technological Self Reliance
The national 15th Five-Year Plan emphasizes accelerating high-level technological self-reliance, while explicitly supporting the HKSAR in building itself into an international innovation and technology hub. President Nancy Ip added: "The nation's recognition of Hong Kong's research strength will inspire more Hong Kong researchers to contribute their expertise to serve the country's needs. HKUST will take this as a driving force to continue leveraging its strengths in frontier fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics and materials science, accelerating the translation of research outcomes and nurturing high-caliber talent. We will deepen our integration into the country's overall national development and jointly write a new chapter of technological self-reliance."
HKUST reaffirms its steadfast commitment to actively participating in national space programs and contributing its strength to the nation's accelerated development as a space powerhouse and its pursuit of green, low carbon, high-quality development.
