Students from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions will attend a class hosted by in-orbit Shenzhou XXIII crewmembers, including Hong Kong’s first homegrown astronaut, Lai Ka-ying, on Wednesday.

As a special session for Hong Kong and Macao students under the Tiangong Class series, the event will take place aboard China’s Tiangong space station at 9:50 am, and will be beamed to school audiences across the two cities.

Organized jointly by the Hong Kong and Macao SAR governments and the China Manned Space Agency, the session is expected to run for about an hour and a half. Students can look forward to science lectures, live orbital demonstrations and a chance to express their good wishes and pose questions directly to the astronauts: commander Zhu Yangzhu, pilot Zhang Zhiyuan, and Lai, the mission’s payload specialist.

During the class, Lai is set to participate in in-cabin experimental work and share her expertise through some science demonstrations.

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Primary and secondary schools in both cities are encouraged to arrange for pupils and teachers to tune in from their classrooms. Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College, Lai’s alma mater, will organize a live viewing event, joined by a delegation of students and educators from Macao.

A Hong Kong SAR government spokesperson described the session as “a valuable aerospace science education activity, allowing students to watch live demonstrations of science experiments conducted in the unique environment of space, with a view to enhancing their knowledge of aerospace science and stimulating their interest in learning”.

“Students can also learn from the three astronauts of the Shenzhou XXIII crew, thereby building their aspirations, encouraging them to dare to explore, further cultivating their patriotism and strengthening national identity,” the spokesperson added.

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Separately, as the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Sept 25, students at Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College have put together a letter for Lai and her crewmates, sending warm holiday wishes to the astronauts.

In the letter, students expressed their respect for the astronauts and ground support teams, along with their hopes for smooth research work and a safe homecoming for the crew.

The Shenzhou XXIII mission lifted off in May. One crew member is slated to remain in orbit for a full year, while the other two are scheduled to return to Earth in November.

Since its launch in 2021, the Tiangong Class series has transformed China’s orbiting space station into a high-tech classroom, featuring in-orbit astronauts conducting virtual tours of the space station’s interior, live scientific experiments, and real-time interactive exchanges with students nationwide.

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com