Hong Kong-Developed MUSICO Camera Operational on Tiangong Space Station
Bastillepost · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Professor Sun Dong, the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, wrote in his Saturday blog about Hong Kong's growing contributions to China's space program. The MUSICO camera, developed by a Hong Kong team, has completed in-orbit assembly testing and is now fully operational on an external payload mount of the Tiangong space station . Dr Lai Ka-ying, Hong Kong's first locally born payload specialist, has been on the space station for nearly three months, actively participating in scientific experiments and daily station duties . Professor Sun personally witnessed the Shenzhou-20 launch at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in May this year .
Key Points
- The MUSICO camera features four specialized sensors detecting carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen, and aerosols with clear imaging quality
- Dr Lai Ka-ying has been stationed aboard Tiangong for approximately three months, managing daily operations, health monitoring, and medical rescue duties
- The camera is expected to deliver high-precision greenhouse gas emission monitoring data continuously for two years or longer
- Six projects were approved under the 2024 Innovation Technology Fund's Special Call for Space Technology, including the MUSICO camera
- Hong Kong researchers developed technologies for Chang'e-3 lunar mission and are preparing for the upcoming Tianwen-3 Mars exploration
- Nearly 400 Hong Kong students will visit Beijing, Jiuquan, and Xi'an this summer for hands-on aerospace learning experiences
Why It Matters
The successful deployment of Hong Kong-developed technology on China's space station demonstrates the city's evolving role in national innovation initiatives. With the Special Call for Space Technology supporting six cutting-edge projects—from advanced lunar regolith simulations to smart sensor coatings for spacecraft—this represents a new frontier for Hong Kong's research community to contribute to deep space exploration and space security .
The successful deployment of Hong Kong-developed technology on China's space station demonstrates the city's evolving role in national innovation initiatives. With the Special Call for Space Technology supporting six cutting-edge projects—from advanced lunar regolith simulations to smart sensor coatings for spacecraft—this represents a new frontier for Hong Kong's research community to contribute to deep space exploration and space security .