JIUQUAN, China — China has successfully launched its Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, marking a historic milestone with the inclusion of Li Jiaying, the first-ever astronaut from Hong Kong.
The Long March 2-F rocket lifted off at 11:08 PM local time on Sunday, successfully delivering the three-member crew to the Tiangong space station a few hours later.
Okay News reports that 43-year-old Li, a former Hong Kong police inspector and mother of three with a doctorate in computer forensics, is serving as the payload specialist for the mission. Her historic flight marks the first time Chinese authorities have selected a candidate from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the national space programme.
Joining Li on the mission are mission commander Zhu Yangzhu, a 39-year-old space engineer, and Zhang Zhiyuan, a 39-year-old former air force pilot making his first trip into space.
The Shenzhou-23 mission is tasked with conducting over 100 scientific and medical projects, with a major focus on studying the long-term effects of microgravity on the human body. Crucially, the China Manned Space Agency announced that one member of the crew will remain aboard the station for a full year—setting a national record for the longest continuous human stay in orbit for the country.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee hailed the launch as a “historic moment” that showcases the region’s growing contributions to national innovation and technology. The milestone comes as China accelerates its space programme, aiming to execute a crewed lunar landing by 2030 in an intensifying space race with the United States.
