Shenzhou-23 crew salute Long March anniversary from orbit
HK01 · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Astronauts on the Shenzhou-23 mission used a message from China’s space station on October 22 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Red Army’s Long March victory. The crew consists of mission commander Zhu Yangzhu, astronaut pilot Zhang Zhiyuan and payload specialist Lai Ka-ying, the first astronaut from Hong Kong. In remarks from orbit, Lai said the “red ribbon” on Earth remained visible below the station’s window, while Zhu said the crew would live up to its responsibilities and reported that the mission was proceeding smoothly. The mission is the seventh crewed flight in the space station’s application and development stage, and the three astronauts have been in space for nearly five months since launching late on May 24
Key Points
- October 22 marked the 90th anniversary of the Red Army’s Long March victory, and the Shenzhou-23 crew paid tribute from China’s space station.
- Lai Ka-ying, identified as China’s first Hong Kong astronaut, said the Long March spirit had not faded but extended “from the land to the galaxy”.
- Zhang Zhiyuan said generations of Chinese space workers had launched “new Long Marches” toward the stars over the past 70 years.
- Commander Zhu Yangzhu said the crew was reporting to earlier generations that the mission was progressing smoothly and that they would not fail their trust.
- Shenzhou-23 launched late on May 24, and the crew has completed tasks including extravehicular solar-wing repairs and moving space application payloads outside
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the appearance of Lai Ka-ying in a nationally broadcast space-station tribute gives the city a visible place in China’s human spaceflight programme. The mission update also shows that Hong Kong’s first astronaut is participating in a long-duration flight tied not only to symbolism, but to ongoing operational work aboard the station