https://www.scmp.com/rss/511987/feed Quentin Parker is an astrophysicist based at the University of Hong Kong and director of its Laboratory for Space Research. He has worked at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh, Anglo-Australian observatory and Macquarie University Sydney, where he was a research centre director. He has published more than 580 papers and has a long-term interest in Chinese cultural heritage, interdisciplinary studies and STEM education. He is also vice-chairman of the Hong Kong-based Orion Astropreneur Space Academy... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Quentin Parker Quentin Parker Hong Kong sees itself as a modern, well-governed, global city that moves with the times. On finance, education, legal services and logistics, that self-image holds. But when considering the green transition, particularly transport electrification, the gap between rhetoric and reality is increasingly hard to ignore. Nowhere is this more evident than in electrifying the taxi fleet, where the quarter-century timeline floated bears little resemblance to what is standard practice in neighbouring... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344649/high-price-hong-kongs-slow-switch-electric-buses-and-taxis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344649/high-price-hong-kongs-slow-switch-electric-buses-and-taxis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Quentin Parker Quentin Parker Hong Kong has a real opportunity to be a global player in the protection of our space ecosystem to ensure its sustainability. This is due to a confluence of positive circumstances, together with extensive global attention on the issue. The Chief Executive’s Policy Unit round table last month, which I attended, has spurred efforts to promote aerospace technology development in Hong Kong and support the burgeoning space economy and its connectivity to the low-altitude economy (drones navigate... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3342234/world-must-act-space-debris-hong-kong-can-play-leading-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3342234/world-must-act-space-debris-hong-kong-can-play-leading-role?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 21:30:37 +0000 Perhaps I am a dinosaur but I feel we do not need an app for this and that. The other day I was leaving a supermarket to return to the shopping centre car park. Usually, I present my receipt to get free parking by handing this over to a friendly attendant, who would stamp it and record my licence plate number. I would leave with a smile, and it’s all over in less than 10 seconds unless I chat awhile. But the desk was gone and I now needed to download an app, which would take my licence plate... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3291834/true-hong-kong-service-wont-be-found-order-it-yourself-app?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3291834/true-hong-kong-service-wont-be-found-order-it-yourself-app?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Dec 2024 01:30:08 +0000 Every new policy address gets debated, supported or pondered by various stakeholders across the broad spectrum of Hong Kong. This could range from the “what’s in it for me” perspective to deep considerations of the impact and influence of the unveiled plans on large companies, institutions and policy bodies and how they operate. Externally, it could get picked over by friend and foe alike for clues as to future policy directions and implications for trade, commerce, financial operations,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3284181/why-arent-we-pushing-hong-kong-harder-hub-kung-fu-fans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3284181/why-arent-we-pushing-hong-kong-harder-hub-kung-fu-fans?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Oct 2024 01:30:08 +0000 I’ve just returned from a mission to Beijing to seek partners for not only scientific space research but also commercial “NewSpace” endeavours. Attending six meetings in 2½ days was exhausting yet exhilarating. Why? Because the mood music from every group we met, whether in the halls of academia or the boardrooms of private companies, is effectively the same. We found ourselves in a “can-do” atmosphere humming with excitement about what the future may hold, an impatience to act, a keenness to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/hk-opinion/article/3255966/its-not-rocket-science-hong-kong-needs-jump-chinese-space-bandwagon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/hk-opinion/article/3255966/its-not-rocket-science-hong-kong-needs-jump-chinese-space-bandwagon?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Mar 2024 07:30:12 +0000 Hong Kong needs to wake up to the opportunities of the “NewSpace” economy and the wealth-creating industries that are springing up around the commercial exploitation of the orbital environment. Sadly, these industries are largely bypassing us (but not Macau) despite their huge potential for our city. This is especially as Hong Kong strives for greater technological relevance in the Greater Bay Area. It’s also because Hong Kong not only has the capacity, within our great universities and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3252893/how-hong-kong-can-play-critical-role-space-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3252893/how-hong-kong-can-play-critical-role-space-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Feb 2024 12:00:19 +0000 Commentary is emerging from Chinese space authorities on how the country should or could react to the rise of Elon Musk’s SpaceX. A recent article in the state-owned China Space News highlighted how the American rocket launch company poses a very particular challenge to Beijing’s own ambitions and capabilities in space. To be fair, we are not comparing like with like. SpaceX is not the US’ Nasa, Russia’s Roscosmos, the European Space Agency or the China Aerospace Science and Technology... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244686/if-china-worried-about-spacex-it-should-encourage-astropreneurs-its-own?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244686/if-china-worried-about-spacex-it-should-encourage-astropreneurs-its-own?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Dec 2023 01:30:13 +0000 In Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s last policy address as chief executive in 2021, there was at last a specific reference to Hong Kong’s role in the nation’s space exploration projects. This was music to the ears of our universities and emerging companies that are either engaged in the mainland’s space exploration endeavours or seizing other opportunities arising from the burgeoning global space economy – an industry which could be worth US$1 trillion by the end of the decade, according to Morgan... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240737/space-has-answers-several-hong-kongs-problems-just-look?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240737/space-has-answers-several-hong-kongs-problems-just-look?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Nov 2023 10:15:38 +0000 On October 20, about 40 international speakers from countries including the US, Japan, Australia, China, Malaysia and France provided a rich tapestry of contributions to “Tomorrow’s Technologies Today”, the first conference on the “NewSpace” ecosystem held in Hong Kong and, indeed, the entire Greater Bay Area. NewSpace describes the community of new aerospace companies and start-ups developing low-cost access to space and space flight technologies, and the advocates of low-cost space flight... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3238915/when-it-comes-space-economy-hong-kong-must-reach-stars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3238915/when-it-comes-space-economy-hong-kong-must-reach-stars?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Oct 2023 01:30:08 +0000 As a scientist, I am intrigued and fascinated by the recent spate of articles in the local and global press on ageing populations. They include the impact and proposed solutions and the parallel, perceived problem of falling birth rates, and how the effects of these trends need to be dealt with. Genuine concerns raised in the news articles range from aged care costs and the need for more specialised geriatric health infrastructure to the tax base needed to adequately support an ageing... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3237858/people-live-longer-fewer-babies-can-be-good-planet-hong-kong-can-show-how?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3237858/people-live-longer-fewer-babies-can-be-good-planet-hong-kong-can-show-how?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Oct 2023 07:30:10 +0000 Much has been made concerning the dearth of talent coming to Hong Kong after the exodus following years of social unrest, the Covid-19 pandemic and negative perceptions about what Hong Kong has become. This triple whammy of bad headlines has percolated around the world. We were a beacon of free trade, stability and liberal values. The city sat well with large numbers of high-quality expatriates who came to Hong Kong to answer the call for top-tier talent. The first two issues have largely passed... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231786/win-over-global-talent-hong-kong-must-show-its-freedoms-arent-lost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3231786/win-over-global-talent-hong-kong-must-show-its-freedoms-arent-lost?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:15:12 +0000 I recently read an article on an Australian newsfeed about what has been happening in South America. It not only took my breath away; as a scientist, I felt a mixture of incredulity, fear, anger and despondency that reached the pit of my stomach. It is midwinter in the Southern hemisphere but climate scientists are aghast at the temperatures just recorded across vast swathes of Chile and Argentina. These are 10 to 20 degrees Celsius warmer than normal, and thought virtually impossible for this... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3230234/world-must-be-war-footing-fight-deadly-climate-emergency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3230234/world-must-be-war-footing-fight-deadly-climate-emergency?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Aug 2023 16:30:17 +0000 A pristine area of rainforest the size of Switzerland was razed last year with untold loss of irreplaceable biodiversity. Enormous wildfires in Canada have unleashed vast quantities of carbon dioxide to exacerbate global warming while also choking residents across North America. Sea lions and dolphins are dying in unprecedented numbers off the coast of California, and storms, floods and famine of increasing regularity and seriousness are taking place worldwide. You would have to be bereft of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3226442/chinas-quiet-strides-climate-change-fight-are-example-all?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3226442/chinas-quiet-strides-climate-change-fight-are-example-all?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jul 2023 14:30:17 +0000 The latest launch in China’s space programme took place on May 30, with a Long March-2F rocket carrying three Chinese astronauts – known as taikonauts – to the Tiangong space station on the latest Shenzhou mission. I find the names given to China’s space missions – Tiangong means “heavenly palace” in Chinese, while Shenzhou means “divine vessel” – and other major scientific and technological endeavours a true reflection of Chinese culture while also conveying a beauty and significance that can... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3222396/shenzhou-16-launch-tribute-chinas-surging-space-prowess?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3222396/shenzhou-16-launch-tribute-chinas-surging-space-prowess?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 May 2023 16:30:18 +0000 We live in dangerous times – a major escalation in Ukraine remains a risk with spring offensives in the offing as a drum beat for war in the Taiwan Strait quickens. What is the person in the street to think about what they see, hear and read in the media? It can be worrying and confusing. One issue is whether much of public opinion is forged, not based on accurate, reasonable reporting of data, facts and fair appraisal, but on rhetoric, rumour, sensationalism and extreme interpretations of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3220620/amid-harmful-media-noise-taiwan-and-ukraine-scientific-method-could-offer-clarity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3220620/amid-harmful-media-noise-taiwan-and-ukraine-scientific-method-could-offer-clarity?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 May 2023 16:30:09 +0000 There has been a significant uptick of late in discussion on the topic of artificial intelligence and the threats it poses. There are several reasons for the heightened discussion, even if the recent headlines have been grabbed by the exhortations of Tesla founder Elon Musk and others to pause training of AI systems more powerful than ChatGPT-4 for at least six months. With the emergence of the AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT – and alternatives like Jasper and YouChat – concerns have been raised... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3216079/how-hong-kong-can-play-role-preventing-ai-armageddon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3216079/how-hong-kong-can-play-role-preventing-ai-armageddon?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2023 00:15:10 +0000 There has been much media coverage and an almost hysterical reaction from various quarters surrounding the controversial Aukus nuclear submarine deal. It is clear the political implications at least are highly significant as three strong and historically traditional “Anglo-Saxon” allies – Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States – come together under the Aukus umbrella in what is touted as a historic defence accord focused on the Pacific. An editorial in the Post said it is clear that... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3214409/hysteria-over-aukus-nuclear-powered-submarines-mark?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3214409/hysteria-over-aukus-nuclear-powered-submarines-mark?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Mar 2023 17:00:21 +0000 Against the backdrop of the vicious war in Ukraine, the terrible earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the Covid-19 pandemic and the Western cost-of-living and energy crises, oil companies have been posting their annual profit reports for 2022. It makes for arguably obscene reading. Shell and BP alone have just reported profits of US$40 billion – more than double the previous year’s profits – and a record US$28 billion, respectively. The world’s five largest oil majors alone amassed more than US$150... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3211059/oil-giants-must-wake-urgency-climate-change-or-they-would-be-forced?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3211059/oil-giants-must-wake-urgency-climate-change-or-they-would-be-forced?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Feb 2023 13:30:12 +0000 This week will be remembered as the moment that Hong Kong woke up to the tremendous opportunities and potential of the burgeoning space economy, estimated to be worth more than US$1.25 trillion by 2030. Human space flight is but the apex of an increasingly complex, technology- and science-driven space ecosystem developing globally. So the announcement that China’s space programme will launch a recruitment drive in Hong Kong for mission payload specialists is very special. Chief Executive John... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3194715/chinas-space-recruitment-drive-one-small-step-hong-kong-one-giant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3194715/chinas-space-recruitment-drive-one-small-step-hong-kong-one-giant?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Oct 2022 19:30:15 +0000 We are sick and tired not just of hearing about Covid-19 but having to live in its shadow. What more is there to say? Well, I’m back after nine weeks in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, returning to Hong Kong in late August after my first academic trip abroad in almost three years. All except two weeks were spent on professional, long-delayed activities: an important satellite project, a key research paper completed and submitted while working directly with collaborators, a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3193048/amid-covid-19-pandemic-fatigue-and-brain-drain-hong-kong-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3193048/amid-covid-19-pandemic-fatigue-and-brain-drain-hong-kong-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Sep 2022 06:00:18 +0000 Recently, the wonderful images from the James Webb Space Telescope have rightly been grabbing global headlines and accolades as the astonishing details of the near-infrared universe have been brought into sharp focus and to a greater depth than ever before. Untold discoveries and wonders await. Teams of scientists are working to bring the first scientific publications to the world, including in my research field of planetary nebulae where a “whole community” publication with a large number of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3186513/how-nasas-james-webb-and-chinas-xuntian-space-telescopes-could?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3186513/how-nasas-james-webb-and-chinas-xuntian-space-telescopes-could?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Jul 2022 01:15:10 +0000 Walking around Kennedy Town, Sai Ying Pun, Sheung Wan and Central, one sees an increasing number of shuttered shops, closed businesses and a bewildering variety of “special offers” to entice custom. The lack of tourists seems to have hit Hong Kong businesses hard. Locals are more careful with spending given the spectre of unemployment – now 5 per cent – as uncertainties linger over when the Covid-19 nightmare will end. Official retail figures show the general malaise gripping the city; it must... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3175145/hong-kong-must-stem-brain-drain-resulting-its-covid-19-policies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3175145/hong-kong-must-stem-brain-drain-resulting-its-covid-19-policies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Apr 2022 22:45:12 +0000 The continued burning of fossil fuels, and even its growth in some countries, threatens us all. The evidence of human-induced global warming and climate change is incontrovertible to any scientist, with the debate shifting to the need for drastic action and how to limit the scale of the changes which are becoming more evident every day. Last November’s UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow was merely the latest global talk fest and call for drastic action that seems to have petered out barely... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3170006/why-nuclear-power-must-be-part-energy-mix-climate-fight-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3170006/why-nuclear-power-must-be-part-energy-mix-climate-fight-succeed?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Mar 2022 17:30:20 +0000 There are no easy options for Hong Kong confronting this pernicious, mutating virus. As much of the rest of the world emerges into de facto Covid-19 acceptance, Hong Kong’s approach stands out. Elsewhere, there is an acceptance we will be living (and dying) with this virus indefinitely; hence, the pressing societal need to return to some normalcy after two years of hard slog and disruption. Things may never get back to normal. This pandemic has long-term consequences for travel, trade and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3168627/hong-kong-must-accept-its-covid-19-setbacks-and-get-job-overcoming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3168627/hong-kong-must-accept-its-covid-19-setbacks-and-get-job-overcoming?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Mar 2022 00:15:10 +0000