Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

A Hong Kong astronaut has been launched into space for the first time as part of China’s latest crewed mission aboard the Shenzhou-23, AzerNEWS reports, citing BBC.

Li Jiaying, a 43-year-old police officer and mother of three, serves as the payload specialist aboard the three-member crew that reached the Tiangong Space Station on Sunday night.

At least one astronaut is expected to remain in orbit for a full year as part of a long-duration experiment, although the final assignment has not yet been confirmed by mission planners.

The mission is part of China’s rapidly expanding space programme, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030. It also unfolds amid intensifying competition with the United States, which has its own goal of returning humans to the lunar surface in the coming years.

The Shenzhou-23 mission focuses on a wide range of scientific studies, including how long-term exposure to microgravity affects the human body, muscle loss, bone density, and cognitive performance.

Alongside Li, the crew includes Zhu Yangzhu, a 39-year-old space engineer, and Zhang Zhiyuan, also 39, a former air force pilot.

The launch took place from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center aboard a Long March 2F rocket. Thousands of spectators reportedly gathered in the surrounding areas, waving Chinese flags as the spacecraft lifted off into the night sky before docking with Tiangong a few hours later.

One interesting detail is that China’s space program increasingly mirrors early stages of U.S. and Soviet space efforts — but with a modern twist: many of its experiments are now directly aimed at long-term habitation and industrial use in orbit. Scientists are testing everything from plant growth in microgravity to 3D-printed materials that could one day be used to build structures in space.

Another notable aspect of this mission is the growing inclusion of professionals from non-traditional astronaut backgrounds, such as law enforcement and engineering specialists, reflecting a broader trend where modern space crews are becoming more diverse in expertise rather than solely military-trained pilots.