Hong Kong’s First Astronaut Joins China’s Shenzhou 23 Crew for a Year in Orbit

China on May 24 will launch the three-person Shenzhou 23 crew—Zhu Yangzhu (commander), Zhang Zhiyuan (pilot) and Lai Ka-ying (payload specialist) from Hong Kong, who becomes Hong Kong’s first astronaut. One crewmember will spend a full year in orbit, a first for China, as the mission docks with the Tiangong space station. The flight, from Jiuquan, sets the stage for Shenzhou 24, which will include a Pakistani astronaut, while Shenzhou 21’s crew remains aboard Tiangong on an extended mission.