HONG KONG/MACAU – A delegation of China’s manned space program has concluded a six-day visit to Hong Kong and Macau, during which the astronauts inspired local young people to pursue a dream of space exploration in the interactions.
The delegation visited the two special administrative regions (SARs) at the invitation of the SAR governments, 11 years after the last such visit.
During their stay from last Tuesday to Sunday, the delegation visited a number of primary and secondary schools and two universities in Hong Kong, and held a special lecture in Macau, meeting with thousands of students in the two cities.
“The Chinese space station is like a home for the motherland in space,” Shenzhou-14 astronaut Chen Dong said, who said he expected to see representatives from Hong Kong and Macau at the space station to make China’s home in space more lively and happy.
Hong Kong middle school student Shum Tze-man was a bit carried away by the presence of the astronauts at a variety show held on Wednesday. In her eyes, “patriotism” is the word to best characterize the space heroes.
“The motherland’s space industry has grown from scratch and now become world leading. I’m proud of our nation and this makes me more obsessed with the starry sky,” Shum said.
In 1992, China’s manned space program was formally established and began to be implemented. In 2022, construction of the Chinese space station was fully completed.
Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the delegation told the story of the development of China’s manned space program, which made Hong Kong people to feel proud of the country’s extraordinary achievements in aerospace technology.
“The reports of space experts involved a lot of professional knowledge in physics and astronomy, some of which were beyond my current learning scope, but it made me more eager to explore the universe,” a student surnamed Li from Lingnan Middle School in Macau said.
“I am sure our young students treasured this opportunity a lot,” Macau SAR Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng said, adding that the delegation’s visit demonstrated the country’s support for the science and technology education of young students in Macau, which was of great significance.
Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency, who led the delegation of China’s manned space program, said that all sectors in Hong Kong and Macau have actively participated in the recruitment of the payload specialists as part of the country’s fourth batch of reserve astronauts, as well as in the solicitation of scientific and application projects for the space station.
Lin expressed the hope that astronauts from Hong Kong and Macau will soon be seen stationed in the motherland’s space station, and the payloads designed by the science and education sectors of Hong Kong and Macau carry out experiments in the space station. – Xinhua
Wang Yaping (second from right, front), a crew member for China’s Shenzhou-13 space mission and the nation’s first female spacewalker, talks with students on Sunday on the last of a three-day visit by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) to the Macau Science Museum. – Xinhua
