China’s Shenzhou‑23 spacecraft has blasted off for the Tiangong space station, carrying the first astronaut from Hong Kong in a milestone moment for the city and the country’s expanding space ambitions.

A Long March‑2F rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu late on Sunday night, sending the three‑person Shenzhou‑23 crew into orbit for a planned six‑month stay aboard Tiangong. 

The mission is commanded by veteran astronaut Zhu Yangzhu, joined by Zhang Zhiyuan and Hong Kong’s Lai Ka‑ying, who is serving as a payload specialist. One member of the Shenzhou‑23 crew is also expected to complete China’s first year‑long continuous stay in orbit, marking another step towards longer‑duration human spaceflight.

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For Hong Kong, the spotlight is firmly on Lai Ka‑ying, who has now become the first person from the city to travel into space. Lai, a former Hong Kong police superintendent with a background in technical and computer forensics, was selected as a payload specialist for the national space programme in 2024 and joined a new group of astronauts that also included candidates from Macao and the mainland.

Her role on Shenzhou‑23 will focus on operating experiments and equipment on board Tiangong, helping to advance research in areas such as space medicine, materials science and microgravity technology. Hong Kong officials have hailed her journey as a “historic moment” that showcases the city’s innovation and technology talent and deepens its integration into the country’s wider scientific development.

Beyond the symbolism, Beijing and Hong Kong see Lai’s flight as a powerful signal to young people in the city that careers at the cutting edge of science and space exploration are within reach. Education authorities have already been using China’s space achievements in classroom materials, and Lai’s mission is expected to feature prominently in outreach programmes once the crew begins live‑link sessions from orbit.