Lai Ka-ying
Hong Kong astronaut (born 1982)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lai Ka-ying (Chinese: 黎家盈; pinyin: Lí Jiāyíng; Jyutping: Lai4 Gaa1jing4; born November 1982) is a Hong Kong astronaut who is a member of the Shenzhou 23 mission to the Tiangong space station. She is Hong Kong's first astronaut,[a] the fourth Chinese woman in space, and China's first female payload specialist. She was a superintendent in the Hong Kong Police Force.
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Lai Ka-ying | |
|---|---|
黎家盈 | |
Lai in 2026 | |
| Born | November 1982 (age 43) |
| Education | University of Hong Kong (BSc, MPhil, PhD) |
| Space career | |
| PLAAC astronaut | |
Previous occupation | Superintendent, Hong Kong Police Force |
| Status | Active |
Time in space | 28 days, 9 hours, 54 minutes (currently in space) |
| Selection | Chinese Group 4 (2022) |
| Missions | Shenzhou 23 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer science |
| Thesis | Profiling internet pirates. (2011) |
| Chow Kam-pui | |
Biography
Lai Ka-ying was born in British Hong Kong in November 1982; her ancestral home is Shunde, Guangdong.[1][2] She majored in computer science and information systems at the University of Hong Kong, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in 2004, and later pursued a Master of Philosophy from 2004 to 2006 and earned a doctorate in 2011, both from the University of Hong Kong, specializing in computer forensics.[3][4]
Lai joined the Technical Services Division of the Hong Kong Police Force, where she reached the rank of superintendent.[5][6]
Reports in May 2024 stated that a female Hong Kong police officer with a doctorate in computer science and experience in information technology had been selected as a payload specialist in China's fourth group of astronauts. The reports stated that Lai had been seconded to the Security Bureau and sent to Beijing for astronaut training.[7]
In 2026, Lai was assigned to the Shenzhou 23 mission of the China Manned Space Program. The mission launched on 24 May 2026, with Lai serving as the mission's payload specialist.[8] She became Hong Kong's first astronaut.[9][a] She was also the first astronaut from China's fourth astronaut selection group to fly on a spaceflight mission.[8]
See also
Notes
- Astronaut Bill Anders was born in Hong Kong to American parents, but left as an infant. He was an American astronaut for the NASA Apollo 8 mission.[10]