Shenzhou-23 Set to Launch Hong Kong’s First Astronaut to Space
China is preparing to launch the Shenzhou-23 mission on Sunday evening, carrying a three-person crew to the Tiangong space station in what promises to be a historic flight — not only for the nation’s space program but for Hong Kong, as former police chief inspector Li Jiaying prepares to become the first Hong Kong-born astronaut to travel to space.
The spacecraft is scheduled to lift off at 23:08 CST (15:08 UTC) on May 24 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center aboard a Long March 2F/G rocket, according to Xinhua News. The crew includes Commander Zhu Yangzhu, a Shenzhou-16 veteran and China’s first civilian astronaut; Zhang Zhiyuan, a former PLA Air Force pilot making his first spaceflight; and Li Jiaying, a payload specialist and the mission’s most anticipated crew member.
A Historic First for Hong Kong
Li Jiaying’s journey from the Hong Kong Police Force to the launch pad is a story of seizing an extraordinary opportunity. When China’s crewed space program opened astronaut selection to Hong Kong and Macau for the first time in 2022, approximately 120 Hong Kong residents applied. Li, then a chief inspector specializing in IT and cybersecurity with a PhD in computer science, was among them.
“At first it felt like a very rare opportunity,” Li told CCTV News in an interview. “The astronaut requirement was 160 cm, and she was exactly 161 cm — just one centimeter over. There were also age and education requirements, and she just fit them all. She felt such a rare opportunity had to be seized, so she gave it a try.”
Selected in June 2024 as one of two payload specialists from the special administrative regions, Li officially joined the astronaut corps in August 2024 and completed 1,700 training hours, passing her flight qualification assessment “with flying colours,” according to CMSA spokesperson Zhang Jingbo, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
From Police Inspector to Astronaut
Li’s path to space was forged through rigorous training that tested both body and mind. She described a 72-hour no-sleep session as manageable given her police background, but singled out 48-hour desert survival training under scorching sun as the toughest challenge. She also worked to overcome language barriers, learning Mandarin and even picking up some northeastern Chinese dialects from her crewmates.
Her inspiration traces back to 2003, when at age 21 she watched Yang Liwei become China’s first astronaut. “Brother Yang said when he was chatting with overseas Chinese, one of them told him: ‘The higher our spaceship flies, the higher we Chinese can hold our heads up.’ That was really touching,” she recalled, becoming emotional during the interview.
Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive John Lee hailed the milestone, saying: “For the first time, a Hong Kong citizen has been selected as a payload specialist for the national crewed space program, with the opportunity to become an astronaut, personally go to space to participate in scientific research, contribute to the national space program, and write a glorious chapter for the SAR and Hong Kong people,” as reported by The Paper.
Mission Objectives and Significance
Shenzhou-23 is the 17th crewed Chinese spaceflight and the 40th flight of China’s crewed space program. The crew will dock with the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong space station using an autonomous fast-rendezvous procedure, joining the Shenzhou-21 crew already aboard.
Key mission objectives include crew rotation, continued space science experiments, spacewalks, cargo transfer, and installation of external payloads. Notably, one crew member will remain on the station for a full year — China’s first one-year long-duration mission — as part of a planned rotation with Shenzhou-24, which may also carry a Pakistani astronaut.
Li will operate scientific equipment including the Tianyun Camera, a Hong Kong-developed payload designed to monitor global CO₂ and methane emissions from major sources — a tangible demonstration of Hong Kong’s growing contribution to national space science.
A Message for Hong Kong’s Youth
Ahead of her journey, Li offered an inspiring message to young people in Hong Kong: “The space station is far away, but the dream of spaceflight is not far from us. Never limit yourselves. When opportunity comes, seize it. Don’t be afraid of failure — for her there is only success and learning. Failure is also a learning process.”
As Shenzhou-23 prepares for liftoff, the mission represents more than a routine crew rotation. It is a powerful symbol of Hong Kong’s integration into China’s most ambitious technological endeavors — and a reminder that the next great leap in space exploration may come from the most unexpected places.
What to Watch For
The launch is scheduled for 23:08 CST on May 24, with docking expected shortly after using the fast-rendezvous profile. The return of the main crew is planned for November or December 2026, while one crew member’s year-long stay will set a new endurance record for China’s space program. The Shenzhou-24 mission, expected around October 2026, could mark another milestone with potential international participation.