Leaving family hardest part of Lai Ka-ying’s space mission, sister says

Leaving her family behind is the toughest part for Hong Kong’s first astronaut as she blasted off on Sunday for her six-month mission, according to her elder sister.Lai Ka-man recalled that when her sister, 43-year-old Hong Kong police superintendent Lai Ka-ying, was selected as a payload specialist in 2024, Ka-ying’s three children were still in primary school. They were now being cared for by both sets of grandparents and other family members.“When I saw my sister recently, I saw in her eyes that she was even more determined than before,” the astronaut’s sister told mainland Chinese media.