Lai Ka-ying, the first astronaut from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was selected as a payload specialist for the Shenzhou-23 spaceflight mission, the China Manned Space Agency said on Saturday (May 23).
Lai and Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, two other Chinese astronauts, will carry out the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceflight mission, and Zhu will be the commander, said the Agency.
The Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 11:08 p.m. Sunday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, said Zhang Jingbo, spokesperson of the agency.
The three astronauts are respectively a flight engineer, a spacecraft pilot, and a payload specialist. Zhu once participated in the Shenzhou-16 space mission. Zhang and Lai come from the third and fourth batches of astronauts, respectively, and will embark on their first spaceflight mission. Before being selected, Zhang was an air force pilot, and Lai worked in the Hong Kong Police Force.
John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), congratulated Lai on becoming a member of China's fourth batch of astronauts.
(With input from Xinhua)
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