Lai Ka-ying
Lai Ka-ying is a Chinese and the first astronaut from Hong Kong to fly in space. She launched on Shenzhou 23 in May 2026 as part of China's Tiangong space-station program.
- Born
- November 1, 1982
- Died
- N/A
- Birthplace
- Hong Kong,China
Flights
1
Spacewalks
N/A
EVA time
N/A
In space
In progress
Bio
Lai was selected in China's fourth astronaut group, a class that broadened the crew pipeline for Tiangong with pilots, engineers, and payload specialists. Her assignment also marked a symbolic expansion of China's human-spaceflight program to include Hong Kong representation.
Shenzhou 23 launched on May 24, 2026 with Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Lai Ka-ying. The crew docked with Tiangong for a long-duration mission involving research, station operations, and a handover with the previous resident crew.
As of July 6, 2026, the mission was still in progress. Her record therefore lists one active Shenzhou/Tiangong spaceflight with duration open rather than a completed total.