Hong Kong's First Astronaut Sends Greetings Home | China Space Station
Lai Ka-ying, Hong Kong's first astronaut in orbit, sent back a heartfelt video message from China's Tiangong Space Station as the region celebrated the 29th anniversary of its return to the motherland on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. The 44-year-old former Hong Kong police officer lifted off in late May alongside commander Zhu Yangzhu and spacecraft pilot Zhang Zhiyuan on the Shenzhou-23 crewed mission.
With the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) flag displayed behind her, Lai marked the anniversary of the region's return with an address to the camera from inside a module 400 kilometers above the Earth.
"On this momentous day—the 29th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the establishment of the HKSAR—I feel deeply honored to display our regional flag from the national space station, to express heartfelt gratitude to our nation and send my warmest wishes to Hong Kong," she said in a video published by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Lai, holding a PhD in computer forensics, has made history as the first female payload specialist from the HKSAR to join a national crewed space program. She spoke of the pride that fills each of her daily duties aboard the station.
"The very fact that I can speak to you from space today is living proof of the precious opportunities Hong Kong enjoys under One Country, Two Systems with the backing of the motherland. As the SAR's first astronaut, every day I am here, I am proud to be part of China's space program. I truly see how our nation's drive to become a space power not only pushes human civilization forward but also helps build a better future for all of humanity," said Lai.
"From the bottom of my heart, I wish the HKSAR even greater prosperity and stability, with the care and support of our motherland. Let us join hands and strive together for a brighter tomorrow for our nation and for Hong Kong. Let's keep going!"
According to the CMSA, the Shenzhou-23 crew will conduct more than 100 new science and application projects, focusing on frontier fields such as space life science, materials science, microgravity fluid physics, aerospace medicine and new space technologies.
Shenzhou-23 marks the 40th flight of China's crewed spaceflight program and the seventh crewed flight mission since the Tiangong Space Station entered its application and development phase in late 2022.
Zhu Yangzhu 朱杨柱, Commander & Flight Engineer (second spaceflight)
Zhang Zhiyuan 张志远, Pilot (first spaceflight)
Duration: 1 minute, 27 seconds
Release Date: July 1, 2026
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