Ir Professor YUNG Kai-leung, BBS

Associate Head, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Director, Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations
Sir Sze-yuen Chung Professor in Precision Engineering
Chair Professor of Precision Engineering

Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences
Fellow of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers
Expert Member of the China’s Lunar Exploration Programme Phase 3
Academic Committee Member of the China’s Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (China’s Mars Sample Return Mission Space Science and Ground Application Branch)
Expert panel member (Mars Sample Return Mission) of the Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center, China National Space Administration

Full academic bio

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Ir Professor Kai-leung Yung, BBS, Sir Sze-yuen Chung Professor in Precision Engineering and Chair Professor of Precision Engineering, serves as the Director of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. A distinguished expert in precision and space engineering with decades of experience, he boasts an extensive background in deep space exploration and has significantly contributed to the development of technologies that have supported the Nation's landmark space projects, including missions to the Moon and Mars.

Our long-term goals lie in the development of new technologies in the exploration and utilisation of resources in space and on planets. Our first step will be the in-depth study of the lunar regolith brought back by Chang’e-5 to find out how we can extract and utilise the resources that lunar regolith can offer.

Ir Professor Yung Kai-leung, BBS

He pursued his education in the United Kingdom, earning a master’s degree from the renowned Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Plymouth. He also gained professional experience working with notable UK-based companies such as BOC Advanced Welding Co. Ltd., the British Ever Ready Group, and the Cranfield Unit for Precision Engineering (CUPE). In 1986, Professor Yung returned to Hong Kong, joining the Hong Kong Productivity Council as a Consultant before transitioning to academia as a member of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University's Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

Professor Yung has a wealth of experience in developing sophisticated space instruments for different deep space exploration missions. His impressive portfolio includes the “Space Holinser Forceps” for the MIR Space Station (1994), the "Mars Rock Corer" for the European Space Agency's Mars Express Mission (2003), and the "Soil Preparation System" for the Sino-Russian Phobos-Grunt Mission (2011). He has also developed advanced precision robotic systems for China's Space Exploration Missions, such as the “Camera Pointing System (CPS)” for Chang'e-3 and -4 (2013 and 2019) on both the near and far sides of the Moon, the "Surface Sampling and Packing System" for Chang'e-5's Lunar Sample Return Mission (2020) and Chang’e-6’s first lunar far side sampling in human history (2024), and the "Mars Landing Surveillance Camera" for China's inaugural Mars Landing Mission Tianwen 1 (2021).

Professor Yung's exceptional work has garnered numerous local and international accolades, and he has been instrumental in transferring space technology for terrestrial applications. He was elected as a Fellow of The Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences and Museum Expert Adviser, among others, in recognition of his expert knowledge.

Research Interests

Precision Engineering

Product Mechatronics

Automatic Control Systems

Logistic Planning and Optimisation

Deep Space Explorations

Space Instrument Design

Micro and Nano-fabrication

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Ir Professor YUNG Kai-leung, BBS

Research Interests