Hong Kong Officials Plan Public Dialogue With City’s First Astronaut on Tiangong Station

Hong Kong authorities now plan a public dialogue with the city’s first astronaut aboard Tiangong after expanding an originally student-focused lecture due to wider interest. Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said on Sunday that authorities are still coordinating the arrangements for a public dialogue with Lai Ka-ying.

“I hope that within the next month or two, we can arrange a public dialogue with Lai Ka-ying,” Sun Dong told a radio programme.

The city originally planned to connect local students with Lai Ka-ying for a “Tiangong classroom” lecture during the mission. Due to overwhelming interest from her colleagues and various sectors, authorities are still coordinating the arrangements. Sun Dong said more details on the public dialogue will be shared later.

Lai Ka-ying blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwestern mainland China last month as part of the three-person Shenzhou-23 mission headed for the Tiangong space station. She is Hong Kong’s first astronaut, China’s first female payload expert, and the fourth woman the country has sent into space.

Sun Dong also said on Sunday that the city could formulate a new strategy to better align with the country’s aerospace development.