Hong Kong’s first astronaut Lai Ka-ying named payload specialist for Shenzhou-23 crew of three

China’s next crewed launch is set to put a new kind of figure in orbit this weekend: a payload specialist from Hong Kong, chosen to fly alongside two mainland astronauts on the Shenzhou-23 mission that will rendezvous with the Tiangong space station. South China Morning Post reported that Lai Ka-ying will join astronauts Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan for the flight, with Lai assigned the payload specialist role as the spacecraft docks with Tiangong. ^[1]

The three-person crew lineup—Zhu, Zhang and Lai—was also carried by The Independent, which described Zhu as the mission commander and cast Lai’s selection as a first for the city. The outlet said Lai was born and raised in Hong Kong and holds a doctoral degree in computer forensics, positioning his flight as the first time a Hong Kong astronaut has been placed on a space mission. ^[3]

Space.com, citing China’s space authorities, put the crew announcement in a tight window leading into launch, writing that “China has named the three astronauts due to fly on the Shenzhou 23 mission on Sunday (May 24), including Hong Kong’s first astronaut.” The timing underscores how closely the roster reveal is tied to mission preparations as the spacecraft aims to link up with the Tiangong complex soon after liftoff. ^[2]

The selection, announced on May 23, 2026, is the latest step in a story that effectively began that same day, when Lai was officially named to the Shenzhou-23 team as China readied another crew rotation to its orbiting station. With the crew now public, attention shifts to what experiments and other payload work Lai will support once Shenzhou-23 reaches Tiangong. ^[1]