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China's astronauts give school lesson from space China's astronauts give school lesson from space
(4 months later)
Astronauts struck floating martial arts poses, twirled gyroscopes and manipulated wobbling globes of water during a lecture from China's orbiting space station as part of efforts to popularise the space programme among young people.Astronauts struck floating martial arts poses, twirled gyroscopes and manipulated wobbling globes of water during a lecture from China's orbiting space station as part of efforts to popularise the space programme among young people.
Wang Yaping demonstrated principles of weightlessness and took questions live from among the 330 schoolchildren gathered at a Beijing auditorium during the 51-minute lesson from aboard the Tiangong 1 space station. Her fellow crew members Nie Haisheng and Zhang Xiaoguang answered questions about living, working and staying fit in space.Wang Yaping demonstrated principles of weightlessness and took questions live from among the 330 schoolchildren gathered at a Beijing auditorium during the 51-minute lesson from aboard the Tiangong 1 space station. Her fellow crew members Nie Haisheng and Zhang Xiaoguang answered questions about living, working and staying fit in space.
"I want to know how you know which way is up," said one student."I want to know how you know which way is up," said one student.
During one playful moment, Nie adopted the mythical cross-legged lotus position familiar to all fans of Chinese martial arts films.During one playful moment, Nie adopted the mythical cross-legged lotus position familiar to all fans of Chinese martial arts films.
"In space, we're all kung fu masters," Wang remarked."In space, we're all kung fu masters," Wang remarked.
In a later demonstration resembling a magic show, Wang injected droplets into an increasingly larger suspended ball of water, drawing impressed exclamations and polite applause from the students present, while another 60 million watched the live TV broadcast from their classrooms. The astronauts also spun gyroscopes and swung a ball on its tether to show how weightlessness affects objects in motion.In a later demonstration resembling a magic show, Wang injected droplets into an increasingly larger suspended ball of water, drawing impressed exclamations and polite applause from the students present, while another 60 million watched the live TV broadcast from their classrooms. The astronauts also spun gyroscopes and swung a ball on its tether to show how weightlessness affects objects in motion.
The lesson was aimed at making space more popular, Zhou Jianping, designer-in-chief of China's manned space programme, told the official Xinhua news agency. "The spirit of science among youth is an important drive for the progress of mankind," Zhou said.The lesson was aimed at making space more popular, Zhou Jianping, designer-in-chief of China's manned space programme, told the official Xinhua news agency. "The spirit of science among youth is an important drive for the progress of mankind," Zhou said.
The lectures come as China's human space programme enters its second decade, after 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 such a feat.The lectures come as China's human space programme enters its second decade, after 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 such a feat.
The current Shenzhou 10 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 current Shenzhou 10 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. China was barred from participating in the International Space Station, largely on objections from the United States over political differences and the Chinese programme's close links with the military.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. China was barred from participating in the International Space Station, largely on objections from the United States over political differences and the Chinese programme's close links with the military.
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