Hong Kong’s first astronaut success is also a story of youth potential

Daryl Ng is chairman of Sino Group and the founding chairman of the Asean-foundation" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="139241" data-entity-type="organization">Hong Kong-Asean Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation promoting and deepening ties between Hong Kong and Asean to build a community of shared future to reinforce Hong Kong’s international position and support future growth.Becoming an astronaut and exploring space has been the dream of generations of young people and Hong Kong has welcomed this pioneering moment.Dr Lai Ka-Ying, who studied computer science at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), has become the first astronaut from Hong Kong, and the fourth female astronaut from China, to journey into space. As a payload specialist, she will operate the observatory designed by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) to track greenhouse gas emissions during her mission at the Tiangong space station.I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to Dr Lai for the historic achievement. The mission holds special meaning and has been made possible by the central government’s support and recognition. It is also a testament to the “one country, two systems” framework.