Hong Kong media said that a Hong Kong policewoman may be selected as the fourth batch of reserve astronaut payload experts

Observer.com

2024-05-24 21:41Posted on the official account of Shanghai Observer.com

After layers of screening, the candidates for the fourth batch of reserve astronauts on the mainland have been basically finalized. Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, told Hong Kong media a few days ago that good news will be announced soon, and he is confident that at least one person in Hong Kong will be selected.

According to Hong Kong's "South China Morning Post", Sing Tao Network and other Hong Kong media reports, a source close to the selection process confirmed on the 24th that a Hong Kong policewoman has been selected to join the astronaut selection project, which is expected to be announced soon.

According to Sing Tao, the female police officer's name is Lai Ka-ying, with a doctorate degree, majoring in information technology and computers, and she was formerly the Chief Inspector of the Hong Kong Police Force and worked in a special department after joining the Force. Currently, she has been seconded to the Security Bureau to carry out technology-related tasks. According to the report, Li Jiaying has received relevant training in Beijing since last year and has astronaut qualifications, and is currently waiting for the official announcement by the central government.

Hong Kong media said that a Hong Kong policewoman may be selected as the fourth batch of reserve astronaut payload experts

Lai Jiaying Source: Hong Kong media

The selection of the fourth batch of reserve astronauts was fully launched in September 2022, and it is planned to select 12 to 14 reserve astronauts, including astronaut pilots, space flight engineers, and payload experts, and for the first time, payload experts will be selected in Hong Kong and Macao.

The selection of reserve astronauts is divided into three stages: primary selection, secondary selection and final selection. In the short one-month recruitment period, about 120 people from Hong Kong applied. After a three-month primary election, the Hong Kong Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau recommended a total of 40 candidates to the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council at the end of last year.

In August 2023, the selection of more than 20 candidates entered the final selection stage, including many candidates from Hong Kong and Macao.

According to the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government, payload experts are one of the types of astronauts classified by mission, which refers to scientific researchers who carry out scientific and applied research and other experimental work in the space station. In the execution of space missions, payload specialists are mainly responsible for carrying out space experiments/experimental research, operating and using space experiment equipment, and cooperating with other astronauts in the flight crew to carry out station management.

When Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee met and cheered on the Hong Kong candidates who were about to go to Beijing to participate in the re-election of the payload experts at the Government House in June last year, the pictures released by the authorities were only on the back of the candidates, and it can be seen from the backs that there are many women.

Lee said at the time that more than a dozen Hong Kong candidates from government departments, hospital authorities, universities, and other institutions and enterprises had passed the primary selection for payload experts.

On June 7, 2023, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, John Lee, met with Hong Kong candidates who are about to go to Beijing to participate in the re-election of the payload expert selection. Source: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government website (the same below)

As for the specific re-selection process, Huang Weifen, chief designer of the astronaut system of China's manned space project, previously revealed that in the primary selection stage, the expert team of the astronaut training center will review their individual application data, including the expert group leading medical experts from various departments to determine whether their health conditions meet the medical standards of payload experts. "The re-selection stage is the most challenging stage and the greatest test for the candidates", the candidates have to undergo a comprehensive clinical examination, and also have to participate in more than 10 physiological function tests, as well as various psychological tests and operational ability tests, which is also an examination of the basic professional quality of astronauts. In the test of physiological function, it is necessary to examine the candidate's endurance and adaptability to the space environment, for example, the centrifuge should be used for the selection of manipulation ability, and the vestibular function should be selected with transfer.

There are no gender restrictions on the selection of payload experts in Hong Kong and Macao. Huang Weifen said that in the selection stage, the candidates should be thoroughly investigated, not only to understand the candidate's situation, but also to conduct a designated hospital physical examination for his family, including those who live together, to avoid hereditary and infectious diseases.

HKSAR Payload Specialist Selection Requirements

In March 2024, astronaut Liu Yang revealed in an interview with the media that the fourth batch of astronauts in the mainland will be selected and will be listed.

Lin Xiqiang, spokesman for the China Manned Space Project and deputy director of the Engineering Office, previously said that if people from Hong Kong and Macao finally pass the re-election and the final selection, they can enter the training center in early 2024, and after about two and a half years of training, they can participate in the flight mission after passing the assessment and meeting the basic conditions, but the specific timing of the mission will be decided according to the overall planning, requirements and the overall planning of the space project.

As for the future manned lunar landing plan, Huang Weifen said that manned astronauts on the moon need to have flight experience and very good professional quality to complete the mission, and professional astronauts are more inclined to carry out manned lunar landing missions.

On September 21, 2023, astronaut Gui Haichao introduced the Mengtian experimental module. Gui Haichao is the first payload specialist for China's space station. Source: Visual China

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