Follow up -INA
A Hong Kong astronaut will join a Chinese space mission for the first time as part of a three-person crew launching on Sunday (May 24), as Beijing edges closer to its goal of landing people on the Moon.
The Tiangong space station - crewed by teams of three astronauts that are typically rotated every six months - is the crown jewel of China's space programme, boosted by billions in state investment in a bid to catch up with the United States and Russia.
The Shenzhou-23 mission will blast off at 11.08 pm (local time) on Sunday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwestern China, carrying three astronauts to the space station, China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) spokesman Zhang Jingbo told reporters on Saturday.
The team comprises Lai Ka-ying, hailed by state media as Hong Kong's first astronaut, Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan, the spokesman said.
