Seeing Hong Kong’s first astronaut Lai Ka-ying go to space felt like a dream come true for 16-year-old Valerie Chiu Wing-yee.
The teen was amazed last week when Lai lifted off as the only woman on the Shenzhou-23 mission.
“It gives Hong Kong people a great sense of pride because it shows that travelling to space is not limited by gender or [where you are from],” Valerie said. She is a Form Four student at St Mary’s Canossian College.
“I believe her story can inspire youths who originally questioned their own abilities ... There is always a chance that they can excel.”
Valerie added that Lai’s journey was a reminder to step out of one’s comfort zone.
“Her transition from a background in computer science and digital forensics to becoming Hong Kong’s first female astronaut shows that we should not stop pursuing new opportunities, even if they involve fields we aren’t used to,” she shared.
“Hearing her story has ... fuelled my passion for science as an interconnected field.”
Out of this world
Lai was born and raised in Hong Kong. In 2024, she was chosen to train as part of China’s fourth batch of astronauts. She is the fourth Chinese woman to travel to space and the country’s first female payload expert.
It took about 3.5 hours for Lai and her two crewmates to reach the Tiangong space station.
As a payload expert, she will help with more than 100 scientific studies on Tiangong.
Exodus Sit Chun-long is an astronomy educator and popular science author in Hong Kong. He called Lai’s success a “historic milestone crucial for the future”.
Her story shows the city’s young people that space is within reach.
“I can clearly see the potential for the younger generation to contribute,” Sit said. “I ... encourage students to chase their dreams if they truly love astronomy.”
Hope for the next generation
Valerie said Lai’s journey would inspire more teens in Hong Kong to join STEM fields. This aligns with the group she started, “Teen Animals Da Scientists”, which works with youth around the world to offer science education workshops.
The teen, who was chosen for Time magazine’s “Girls of the Year” list, said she hoped Lai’s story would encourage girls to dream of space travel.
“Historically, the majority of astronauts worldwide – not just in China – have been male,” she said.
“Her story proves that even though women are sometimes perceived as physically weaker than men, they can absolutely travel to space and achieve remarkable milestones.”
Brian Au Nap-yan, 18, once dreamed of being an astronaut. But he thought it would be impossible to do from Hong Kong. He chose to study civil engineering at University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom.
“[Lai’s success] changes everything about what we believe is possible as Hongkongers,” he said.
Since Lai did not come from a background traditionally tied to space exploration, Au sees the potential for his current studies to intersect with his childhood dream.
Lai’s mission has also made him more interested in exploring the unique materials found beyond Earth. He is also curious about doing experiments under the extreme conditions in space.
“Space exploration ... always seemed very far away,” Au said.
“But then, when she managed to achieve it, I realised that the aerospace industry and also the space programmes really feel incredibly close and relevant to us now.”
