The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) officially announced on the morning of May 23rd that the crew lineup for the Shenzhou-23 mission had been finalized, with Hong Kong female payload specialist Lai Ka-ying among those selected. As a member of China's fourth batch of astronauts and the first from that group to carry out a spaceflight mission, Lai has not only filled the gap for astronauts from Hong Kong and Macao, but also become the first Hong Kong woman to enter the China Space Station.

As a key mission during the application and development phase of China's space station program, Shenzhou-23 marks China's 40th crewed spaceflight mission and is scheduled for launch at 11:08 p.m. on May 24th. During the mission, one crew member will undertake an approximately year-long in-orbit residency experiment, while the other two crew members are expected to remain in orbit for around six months. The actual duration will be determined based on mission requirements in space.

Before being selected, Lai served with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's Police Force. Following an exceptionally rigorous selection and training process, she successfully transitioned from a member of the disciplined services to a national astronaut. As a payload specialist, Lai will play the key role of a "space scientist" aboard the Shenzhou-23 mission.

Unlike pilots responsible for spacecraft operations or engineers tasked with equipment maintenance, payload specialists primarily conduct advanced scientific experiments in the space station, often described as a "space laboratory." Lai's selection highlights China's strong confidence in and recognition of Hong Kong's professional talent and reflects how young people in Hong Kong are contributing to China and pursuing China's space dream under the framework of "One Country, Two Systems."

What has further excited various sectors in Hong Kong is that Lai's six-month "space assignment" will also carry a special mission closely tied to the city. For the first time aboard the Tiangong space station, she will take the lead in operating the "lightweight, high-resolution greenhouse gas detection payload" developed under the leadership of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).

Representing Hong Kong's cutting-edge innovation and technology capabilities, the device will conduct precise monitoring of greenhouse gas emission sources, including carbon dioxide and methane, across mid- and low-latitude regions worldwide. Lai will serve not only as the mission operator, but also as a representative of Hong Kong's scientific research community entering China Space Station for the first time. Expectations are high for Lai to deliver outstanding results.

香港首位女性载荷专家黎家盈入选神舟二十三号

中国载人航天工程办公室5月23日上午正式宣布，神舟二十三号航天员乘组名单敲定，香港女性载荷专家黎家盈名列其中。作为我国首位执行飞行任务的第四批航天员，黎家盈不仅填补了港澳地区航天员执行任务的空白，更成为首位走进中国空间站的香港女性。

作为空间站应用与发展阶段的关键任务，神舟二十三号是我国第40次载人航天飞行，计划于5月24日23时08分发射升空 。神舟二十三号任务中，乘组1名航天员将开展约1年期在轨驻留试验，其余两名航天员驻留约6个月；实际驻留时间将根据在轨任务安排最终确定。

入选前服务于香港特区政府警务处的黎家盈，在经过极其严格的选拔与训练后，完成了从纪律部队成员向国家航天员的华丽转身。作为载荷专家，黎家盈在神舟二十三号乘组中担当“太空科学家”的关键角色。

不同于负责飞船驾驶的驾驶员或设备维护的工程师，载荷专家的核心使命是在空间站这一“太空实验室”中进行高端科学实验。黎家盈的入选，生动体现了国家对香港专业人才的高度信任与器重，更是“一国两制”下香港青年投身报国、共筑航天梦的生动缩影。

更令香港各界倍感振奋的是，黎家盈此次“出差”太空半年，将带着一份特殊的“家乡任务”。她将首度在天宫空间站主导操作由香港科技大学牵头研制的“轻小型高分辨率温室气体探测载荷”。

这一代表香港尖端科创水平的设备，将对全球中低纬度的二氧化碳、甲烷等温室气体排放源进行精准监测。黎家盈不仅是任务的执行者，更是香港科研力量第一次真正走进中国空间站，期待黎家盈交出漂亮的答卷。

文、视频｜梁源 王漫琪
图｜央视新闻
翻译｜魏薇
审校｜盛嘉