Astronauts share magic of space with 60 million
Source: Agencies/Shanghai Daily |
June 21, 2013, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
Astronauts struck floating martial arts poses, twirled gyroscopes and manipulated wobbling globes of water during a lecture to students on Earth from China's orbiting space station.
Wang Yaping, China's second woman in space, demonstrated how a variety of objects behave in zero gravity in experiments shown in classrooms across China.
She smiled as she pushed a fellow astronaut into the wall of the module with a touch of her finger, and gulped down a drop of water as it floated in mid air.
Wang and her fellow crew members Nie Haisheng and Zhang Xiaoguang answered questions from students about living, working and staying fit in space.
"I want to know how you know which way is up," was one question.
During one playful moment, Nie adopted the mythical cross-legged lotus position familiar to fans of martial arts films.
"In space, we're all kung fu masters," said Wang.
In a later demonstration which resembled a magic show, Wang injected droplets into an increasingly larger suspended ball of water, drawing exclamations of "wow" and polite applause from students, 60 million of whom were watching the live TV broadcast.
She also showed how "gravity" works in space, using both fixed and mobile gyros to demonstrate physics concepts.
"I like all these demonstrations, the gyro and water ball ones particularly. They are all impossible on Earth. How wonderful," said Qian Jianghao, a 10-year-old primary school student in Beijing.
In Shanghai, some 120 students were at the China Welfare Institute Children's Palace to hear the lecture, which was also seen at most schools across the city.
Sun Xin, a senior student at Jingye High School, said: "I have always dreamed of designing a city in the space, but I suddenly realized it seemed that the water system would be difficult to operate after seeing Wang's demonstration."
Zhou Bingwei, a senior student at Nanyang Model High School, said: "The demonstration aroused my interest in space exploration. Maybe I will dedicate my future career to the manned space program."
In Beijing, Luo Jiangyuan, a high school freshman who plans to study science at college, said: "When I learned about the laws of physics and weightless conditions in class, I had to imagine what would happen. But in today's class, I've been able to see what really happens. It is thrilling," he said.
Asked about the astronauts' view of Earth, Wang said: "Through the front windows, we can see Earth and many stars. But we haven't seen any UFOs."
The stars in space are brighter, but do not twinkle, she said.
She added: "I tell you a wonderful phenomenon: we can see sunrises 16 times a day, as we circle the Earth every 90 minutes."
Nie told the students: "I hope all of you will study hard, learn more and contribute to the Chinese dream."
Zhang told them: "Outer space is deep and has numerous mysteries. Exploration is limitless and we should work together in this regard."
The lecture came as China's human space program enters its second decade, going from a simple manned flight to space lab link-ups in just 10 years.
China launched its first crewed mission in 2003, becoming the third nation after Russia and the US to achieve that feat.
The current mission is the second crewed trip to the Tiangong-1, launched in 2011 and due to be replaced by the larger, three-module permanent station, Tiangong-2, seven years from now.
The future station will weigh about 60 tons, slightly smaller than NASA's Skylab of the 1970s and about one-sixth the size of the 16-nation International Space Station.
Wang Yaping, China's second woman in space, demonstrated how a variety of objects behave in zero gravity in experiments shown in classrooms across China.
She smiled as she pushed a fellow astronaut into the wall of the module with a touch of her finger, and gulped down a drop of water as it floated in mid air.
Wang and her fellow crew members Nie Haisheng and Zhang Xiaoguang answered questions from students about living, working and staying fit in space.
"I want to know how you know which way is up," was one question.
During one playful moment, Nie adopted the mythical cross-legged lotus position familiar to fans of martial arts films.
"In space, we're all kung fu masters," said Wang.
In a later demonstration which resembled a magic show, Wang injected droplets into an increasingly larger suspended ball of water, drawing exclamations of "wow" and polite applause from students, 60 million of whom were watching the live TV broadcast.
She also showed how "gravity" works in space, using both fixed and mobile gyros to demonstrate physics concepts.
"I like all these demonstrations, the gyro and water ball ones particularly. They are all impossible on Earth. How wonderful," said Qian Jianghao, a 10-year-old primary school student in Beijing.
In Shanghai, some 120 students were at the China Welfare Institute Children's Palace to hear the lecture, which was also seen at most schools across the city.
Sun Xin, a senior student at Jingye High School, said: "I have always dreamed of designing a city in the space, but I suddenly realized it seemed that the water system would be difficult to operate after seeing Wang's demonstration."
Zhou Bingwei, a senior student at Nanyang Model High School, said: "The demonstration aroused my interest in space exploration. Maybe I will dedicate my future career to the manned space program."
In Beijing, Luo Jiangyuan, a high school freshman who plans to study science at college, said: "When I learned about the laws of physics and weightless conditions in class, I had to imagine what would happen. But in today's class, I've been able to see what really happens. It is thrilling," he said.
Asked about the astronauts' view of Earth, Wang said: "Through the front windows, we can see Earth and many stars. But we haven't seen any UFOs."
The stars in space are brighter, but do not twinkle, she said.
She added: "I tell you a wonderful phenomenon: we can see sunrises 16 times a day, as we circle the Earth every 90 minutes."
Nie told the students: "I hope all of you will study hard, learn more and contribute to the Chinese dream."
Zhang told them: "Outer space is deep and has numerous mysteries. Exploration is limitless and we should work together in this regard."
The lecture came as China's human space program enters its second decade, going from a simple manned flight to space lab link-ups in just 10 years.
China launched its first crewed mission in 2003, becoming the third nation after Russia and the US to achieve that feat.
The current mission is the second crewed trip to the Tiangong-1, launched in 2011 and due to be replaced by the larger, three-module permanent station, Tiangong-2, seven years from now.
The future station will weigh about 60 tons, slightly smaller than NASA's Skylab of the 1970s and about one-sixth the size of the 16-nation International Space Station.
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