Hong Kong's first astronaut Lai Ka-ying credits willpower for passing astronaut selection
L'essentiel
- Hong Kong's first astronaut, Lai Ka-ying, overcame motion sickness and other challenges to be selected for China's Shenzhou-23 mission.
- The 43-year-old mother of three credits sheer willpower for persevering through gruelling training.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
Lai Ka-ying, a 43-year-old mother of three, is set to become Hong Kong's first astronaut on China's Shenzhou-23 mission to the Tiangong space station. Despite facing challenges like motion sickness and not being a top student, she successfully completed nearly two years of training.
Lai Ka-ying suffers from motion sickness, cannot stand hot weather, was not a top student and did not speak Mandarin – all of which made the 43-year-old mother of three an unlikely pick as Hong Kong’s first astronaut.
But the Hong Kong-born payload specialist on China’s Shenzhou-23 mission, which is expected to blast off on Sunday night and head to the Tiangong space station, made it through almost two years of training.
“I held a ‘let’s give it a try’ attitude,” Lai said in interviews with state media, recalling how she managed to pass the gruelling selection process. “I am prone to getting carsick and seasick. But when I sat in the rotating chair, I easily passed the test.”
She added: “In the centrifuge test, I was in total confusion, everything went blurry. But I persevered through sheer willpower.”
Working in the Hong Kong Police Force, where long hours and irregular shifts are the norm, helped her easily handle training involving 72 hours without sleep.
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Shenzhou-23 mission will blast off
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Questions ouvertes
- What specific role will Lai Ka-ying play as a payload specialist?
- What are the exact scientific objectives of the Shenzhou-23 mission?
- What is the duration of the Shenzhou-23 mission?
- What are the specific criteria that made Lai Ka-ying an unlikely pick initially?
