Astronauts of Shenzhou IX to visit HK

Chinese astronaut Jing Haipeng (C) answers a question next to Liu Wang (R) and Liu Yang, China's first female astronaut, during a news conference in a glass-shielded room at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, in northwest China's Gansu province, June 15, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

HONG KONG - Three astronauts, Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang, who successfully completed China's first manned space docking mission, will arrive here next Friday for a four-day visit at the invitation of Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung.

The some 40-member delegation comprise key commanders and designers of the manned space program who contributed to the success of docking mission between Shenzhou IX spacecraft and Tiangong-1 lab module.

Leung was glad of the upcoming visit of the delegation, "The accomplishment of the Shenzhou IX mission has opened a new chapter in our country's aerospace history. The crew succeeded in the first manual space docking between airship and space laboratory, had the first female astronaut in a space mission and set records in astronauts working and staying in a space lab module", he said, "the astronauts' perseverance also serves as an encouragement for Hong Kong people."

According to the schedule, the delegation will take part in variety of activities. They will meet the media at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, attend a dialogue session with local secondary and primary students to share their experiences of their 13-day orbit in space, open the "Exhibition on China's First Manned Space Docking Mission" at the Hong Kong Science Museum and the like.

The delegation will finally attend a farewell ceremony at Government House before leaving for Macao at the Hong Kong-Macao Ferry Terminal, concluding their four-day visit to Hong Kong.