Hong Kong’s first astronaut could serve in space missions next year

Hong Kong’s first astronaut in China’s space programme could start serving in missions as early as next year, a national agency has said.

The China Manned Space Agency picked the Hongkonger in July last year as part of the fourth batch of preparatory astronauts. The local specialist and another one from Macau were among the 10 chosen in the latest group of astronauts.

“Since the fourth batch of astronauts joined the team in August 2024, they have carried out a number of training according to the plan, for instance, basic space flight theory, psychology, space environment adaptability, etc,” Lin Xiqiang, the agency’s deputy director general, said in a press conference on Wednesday.

“After joining the team, the Hong Kong and Macau astronauts quickly adapted to the working and living environment, rapidly integrated into the crew and trained very hard. Their work is progressing smoothly they are now carrying out studies and training in professional space technology.

“As payload experts, the Hong Kong and Macau astronauts are expected to carry out their first mission in 2026 at the earliest.”

The position of payload specialist requires a strong background in science or engineering. It involves overseeing highly complex or classified on-board equipment and tasks.