Source: html Military Room No. 134·Chinese Military Number
At this moment, the Chinese Space Station , 400 kilometers away from the ground, is suspended in the quiet and vast universe, fulfilling its role as the Chinese "space home" and "space laboratory" ” the sacred mission.
From Tiangong-1 to the Chinese Space Station, the development of China's manned space project has always been closely linked to popular science education. "Tiangong Classroom" has become an important platform for spreading space knowledge and sowing space dreams. In the future, manned space flight crews will continue to carry out a series of on-orbit teaching activities such as "Tiangong Classroom" to provide a more colorful feast of space science popularization to young people.
On June 28, astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, Ye Guangfu who successfully completed the Shenzhou 13 manned mission shared with everyone their six-month work and life in orbit at a press conference. Condition. The editorial board of this newspaper specially invited Wang Yaping, China's first female astronaut to station on the space station and the first spacewalk, and the "space teacher", to tell us the wonderful story of flying to space twice to realize her dream, and then going to the "space podium" again.
Space teaching, sowing dreams
■ Chinese People's Liberation Army Astronaut Brigade astronaut Wang Yaping
★Three astronauts from the Shenzhou 13 flight crew displayed the "Olympic rings" in weightless conditions in space. Pictures provided by the Shenzhou 13th manned mission
At that moment, I seemed to hear the sound of flowers blooming
I am Wang Yaping, an astronaut on the Shenzhou 13th manned mission. As a "space teacher", I feel particularly satisfied and happy to be able to stand on the "space podium" three times and share the fun and mystery of science with everyone. The short time I spent "connecting heaven and earth" with my classmates will become an extremely precious memory in my future life.
Becoming a teacher was once my childhood dream. I remember when I was in elementary school, the Chinese teacher would tell us vivid stories. The math teacher would weave boring numbers into magical fairy tales. The physical education teacher was the favorite of the students because she would take us on the school playground. Running and playing...
The good times always fleeting, while we are playing, we grow up accidentally. When I got to middle school, I started to get in touch with deeper knowledge. The teacher can explain the profound knowledge of physics and chemistry to us in a simple and easy-to-understand manner. At that time, we seemed to be able to glimpse some of the mysteries of science and discover the beauty of the universe from a simple pendulum law or a chemical reaction.
Looking at the teachers talking eloquently on the podium, I am sincerely envious and dream that one day I can stand on the podium and impart the knowledge I have learned to the students without reservation. Teachers, this sacred and beautiful profession, bear the important task of spreading ideas and culture, and play an important role as a bridge and link in the development of human society. I have been pursuing this “teacher dream” for more than ten years.
After graduating from high school, I was fortunate enough to become an honorable Air Force pilot. As I flew into the blue sky, the distance between me and the podium of my dreams was getting farther and farther. Later, after many rounds of selection, I was selected into the Chinese People's Liberation Army Astronaut Brigade. There is no doubt that it is a joy to be an astronaut and fly into space. However, I also vaguely feel that I will never have that "teacher dream" in this life. Unexpectedly, the god of destiny waved to me again and gave me the opportunity to realize my dream.
In 2013, after I was selected as the crew member of the Shenzhou-10 manned mission, I learned that I would be able to teach primary and secondary school students across the country in space. I was excited beyond words. Becoming a teacher, this long-cherished dream is finally coming true! At that moment, I seemed to hear the sound of flowers blooming, and it seemed as if a bright moon was shining into my heart, so clear and bright.
Imagine that before class, the students shouted "Hello, teacher" and "Thank you, teacher" in their childish voices; after class, the children raised their innocent faces and asked "Teacher Wang" questions one after another... These have all happened before It was the scene I looked forward to and envied most when I was a child.There seemed to be rolling waves in my heart, waiting for the moment when my dream would come true.
On the other end of the camera are thousands of pairs of eyes eager for knowledge
In everyone's life, there will be many firsts, and each first time means unknowns and challenges, which will give us more or less Enlightenment. For someone who has never stood on a podium, my first experience as a teacher is still fresh in my memory.
Space teaching is the first educational application mission carried out in orbit in the history of China's manned spaceflight. It is also the first time in the history of China's manned spaceflight that science education activities are carried out nationwide and around the world.
The mission is unprecedentedly glorious; the responsibility is also unprecedentedly important. The crew of the Shenzhou-10 manned mission set off with such a sacred goal. My heart was filled with excitement and expectation, but at the same time I was very nervous.
On June 20, 2013, the day of real space teaching finally arrived. Although there are only three of us astronauts standing in the Tiangong , facing only a camera, I know that on the other end of the camera, there are thousands of pairs of eyes hungry for knowledge looking at me. At that moment, I felt so sacred and proud. I am proud to be able to stand in front of thousands of primary and secondary school students!
That space lecture was very successful, and every experimental demonstration was successful. From the headphones, I clearly heard the surprised and happy laughter of my classmates, and I also heard thunderous applause erupting in the classroom. The moment my dream came true, I felt that no matter how much hard work and sweat I put in, it was worth it. Because the laughter and applause of children in class are the best rewards.
The first space lecture ended quickly. I was immersed in the class and I still had endless thoughts, and the students also had endless aftertaste. I seem to hear some children asking: "Is there more? Is there more? I still want to see it, space is so amazing..."
The title "Teacher Wang" became my symbol for completing the Shenzhou 10 manned flight mission The biggest gain. As a teacher, I feel sincerely happy and gratified to be able to sow the dream of spaceflight in the hearts of children and start their journey to pursue their dreams.
"The dream of flying will never lose weight, and the dream of science has unlimited tension." This sentence is deeply rooted in the hearts of every student. Maybe it's the wonder of my "Hercules", maybe it's curiosity about using Newton's law to measure mass, maybe it's the water film experiment that shows the infinite tension of water, maybe it's the fascination with the high-speed rotating tops in space... First This space science popularization education activity inspired the majority of primary and secondary school students to yearn for space and enthusiasm for learning scientific and technological knowledge, allowing them to gradually get closer to, understand and love aerospace.
Nowadays, some of those children have entered college and even entered the society. Some of them have always maintained their love for aerospace, and some have grown into members of the aerospace front.
In 2019, Wang Nan, a graduate student at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, wrote me a letter. As a student in the first "space class" to listen to space lectures, she chose aerospace-related majors during the college entrance examination. She said in the letter: "Maybe you don't know who I am, but you have already become the light that I yearn for on the way to pursue my dreams." Later, Wang Nan graduated from graduate school and became an astronaut... The story of Wang Nan chasing light and chasing dreams is just a story. In microcosm, there are many children like her who love aerospace and devote themselves to the aerospace industry.
I would also like to thank the world's first "space teacher" Ms. Barbara Morgan. As China's first and the world's second space lecturer, I received a letter from her on the eve of the lecture. In the letter, she expressed her greetings and wishes to us, and gave her fervent expectations and encouragement for space teaching.
’s first space lecture was a complete success and received high praise from the media: “The effortless space lecture not only demonstrated our country’s scientific and technological strength, but also demonstrated the wisdom and humor of the Chinese people, and also sowed the seeds of exploring the future."
Through their clear eyes, I saw the stars in the sky
Space is not only the place that all children are fascinated by, but also the direction in which all astronauts have been running.
Time flies, and it has been 9 years since the first space lecture. These 9 During the year, I have been keen on science popularization and love everything related to space science. Like my classmates, I have continued to learn, accumulate, and accumulate. I look forward to meeting my classmates again.
Space teaching has given me so much. More than anything else, it allowed me to form a deep teacher-student relationship with the children, allowing me to still have the opportunity to communicate face-to-face with the children after returning to the ground. From those innocent and lovely eyes, I felt the children’s love for space. Yearning and thirst for the unknown world; from those various whims and whimsical ideas, I discovered the infinite imagination of children.
An educator said: "The greatest progress in science is made by new and bold ideas. brought about by imagination. "Isn't the imagination of children the hope for the future development of science and technology of the motherland?
I often think about what makes me so fascinated by the title "space teacher"? What makes me infinitely attached to the popularization of space science? Gradually, I think about it. Earth, I found the answer: it is the mysterious and beautiful space home, the endless scientific dream, and the eyes of the children who are thirsty for knowledge. Through their clear eyes, I can clearly see the beautiful space and the numbers. The stars that never come.
After being selected as the crew member of the Shenzhou 13 manned mission, I will continue to teach children about space as per the mission arrangement:
- I am excited. Because I can meet children in space as a "space teacher"
- I have regrets, because in this class, those classmates in the first space class have "not been children for many years." Are they? Will you miss out on the new space classroom?
——You are lucky, because this space teaching can help more children know and understand space, and discover the charm of science.
——I am even more hopeful. I hope that this teaching can help more children. Many children love aerospace and get close to it, so we can get to know each other through aerospace science, and we can also meet each other in the aerospace industry.
When I stepped onto the space stage for the second time, I felt more confident and calm, watching the children through the screen. Those pairs of eyes hungry for knowledge fill me with strength. I always feel that I am the one who enjoys and benefits the most from this relationship between teachers and students - because of these children, I feel that I am still the same person I was in my youth. Because of these children, I feel that no matter how hard or tired I am, there is a warm force supporting me; because of these children, I even hope that every day in the future will be as happy as this moment.
My dream will come true again, and I will do better. I
teach in space on the Chinese Space Station. Compared with before, there are many "hardware" and "software" changes.
The classroom on the space station is different from the classroom on Tiangong-1 in many ways: The classroom on Tiangong-1, I only I can hear the sounds coming from the ground classroom; in the space station classroom, I can not only hear the sounds coming from the ground, but also see clear pictures.
As a "space teacher", I am also benefiting from the precipitation of time. , the accumulation of knowledge, in the new space classroom, I feel that my heart is fuller.
On the afternoon of December 9, 2021, in the space classroom, my partner Ye Guangfu and I used a small piece of paper when we demonstrated the water film tension experiment. flower. The little pink paper flower blooming in the water balloon was folded by my daughter and I on the ground together. That flower bloomed so beautifully during the experiment, just like my daughter’s magnificent future in my vision. Just in September 2022, she will usher in a new stage of life: becoming a primary school student.I want that beautiful little flower to tell my daughter that there will be many good things waiting for her to find on her way to school in the future; I also want to use that blooming little flower to tell all young friends that as long as they sow dreams, they will definitely reap hope.
Science is romantic and magical. The beauty of science makes people linger. It depends on whether you can enjoy it. The beauty of space is that it can show scenes that cannot be seen on earth and reveal scientific mysteries that cannot be revealed on earth. For example: the water polo that "turns water into ice", the liquid bridge that keeps pulling, the inseparable water and oil, etc. Everyone understands these seemingly simple physical and chemical phenomena, but it still takes a lot of brainpower to successfully demonstrate them.
For example, in the space ice and snow experiment, during the lecture, the students saw a perfect picture: a small water polo suspended in space. I tapped it lightly with the hair root in my hand, and the water puck instantly froze and turned into a heated "ice puck." This is a common crystallization phenomenon in the field of chemistry: at room temperature, supersaturated sodium acetate solution is very unstable, and a small dust may induce crystallization. However, it is very difficult to perfectly present the magical effect of "turning water into ice".
Maybe you don’t know that this popular and magical experiment almost died halfway. During the exercise, there were various situations: First, there was very little supersaturated sodium acetate solution brought up, and the load of each flight mission was almost stringent to the gram level, so we did not have many opportunities to exercise; second, it was our first time to demonstrate this in space. Experimentation, any unexpected situation may occur.
In order to complete the "Frozen" experiment, we worked together and made multiple plans. However, several drill experiments failed. When everyone was almost giving up, I used the persistence of "I will not give up until I reach the Yellow River" to insist on completing this experiment and make plans for every special situation that may arise.
On the afternoon of March 23, 2022, as the first space ice and snow experiment of "Tiangong Classroom", crystallization occurred in advance, catching us by surprise. We didn't panic, calmly solved the problem and remedied it in a timely manner. Finally, we successfully presented the space debut of "Frozen" to thousands of primary and secondary school students in front of the screen.
In addition to displaying interesting physical and chemical phenomena, we also embed traditional national culture and Olympic spirit into it. Tie-dye is one of the textile dyeing processes with a long history in my country. The unique tie-dye display allows this precious intangible cultural heritage to go abroad and fly into space. The perfect fusion of traditional culture and modern technology in our hands is particularly proud. The finished product we made is amazing. The tie-dye work is blue and white, elegant and pure, with a fresh and natural beauty. The combination of blue and white is also very similar to the colors we see on the earth from space.
In the link of "Heaven and Earth Welcome the Olympic Games", I used chemical reactions to create the "Five Olympic Rings". The raw materials are not complicated: a transparent plate inlaid with five rings, 3 different colorless solutions, 3 acid-base indicators , plus several other solutions. Under our operation, blue, black, red, yellow, green, the colors of the "Olympic rings" are perfectly presented in sequence. Under the weightless conditions of space, the "Five Olympic Rings" float freely, allowing us to feel the strong atmosphere of the Winter Olympics on the Chinese Space Station. The Olympic spirit of "Higher, Faster, Stronger" coincides with the spirit of our astronauts' unremitting struggle.
Space teaching not only vividly restores the physical and chemical knowledge in textbooks, but also integrates multiple elements such as culture, art, and sports into it. The success of space teaching implies this truth: the power of scientific knowledge and the power of beauty are always around us. As long as we have a pair of searching eyes and our hearts are full of desire for the future, we can discover this power.
Just like what is sung in the song "Run": "Fly with the wind, have dreams as wings, dare to love, dare to do, and bravely venture out... Even the smallest sail can sail far..."
In our long life During the journey, as long as you search diligently, you will definitely have everything you hope for, and everything you ask for will definitely come true. Perhaps the beauty of science lies in this.
The dream continues, let us meet in the future
In June 2013, the first "Tiangong Classroom" was watched simultaneously by 80,000 schools and more than 60 million students across the country; in December 2021, the first class was taught on the Chinese Space Station, less than In one day, the number of clicks on relevant reports across the entire network has reached 2.11 billion, and more and more people are paying attention to our space classroom; in March 2022, the Chinese Space Station will teach the second class, and the number of reads on Weibo-related topics alone will reach 2.11 billion. It has been viewed more than 1 billion times and is hailed by netizens as the "space version of popular science and the ceiling of live broadcasting".
After the space lecture, I received many letters from children -
"Teacher Wang, it is you who gave me my dream, and I will be like a caterpillar , slowly climbing to the top of the tree. One day , I will climb up and become a butterfly like you, fly into space, and realize my dream. "Teacher Wang, I will definitely study hard and become an astronaut in the future to explore the wonderful space. Be a person who is useful to mankind and the country. "
"We know that flying into the sky is not something that can be achieved easily. Astronauts must go through long-term, arduous and unremitting training before they can grow the wings to fly..."
Space teaching is like a silent spring rain that moistens everything, dyeing the earth green and moisturizing the eyes of countless children. Teaching in space is like a warm spring breeze blowing gently to the fields. Countless blooming dandelions carry small white umbrellas, like seeds of space dreams, flying lightly in the wind towards the sky of hope. No matter where they fall, the seeds will take root and sprout, and beautiful dandelion flowers will bloom the next year.
Space teaching activities have left an indelible impression on many students, and they will definitely accompany them in their lifelong pursuits in the future. In the process of preparing and teaching lessons, I was also baptized by scientific knowledge again and again. Space exploration will never end, and we need to discover more and more amazing scientific knowledge together.
Although the bell has rang for the end of class in space and I have returned to Earth, the transfer of scientific knowledge never stops. If you have ambitions in your heart, you can pick up the stars with your hands. All unknowns are worth exploring. All limitations can be transcended. I look forward to thousands of students setting their youthful ambitions and becoming down-to-earth people in their future studies.
Space teaching has sown dreams for the students, and also pointed out the direction for my future struggle. In the field of manned spaceflight and science education, I will do my best to integrate space science education with the aerospace industry, and always be a "space teacher" in the hearts of children.
Of course, the great success and far-reaching impact of space teaching are inseparable from the efforts of every astronaut on the crew. I remember that after the first space lecture, commander Nie Haisheng, photographer Zhang Xiaoguang and I had tears in our eyes, and we held hands tightly. We are excited, emotional, and excited that we can successfully complete such a big task together. During this space station mission, Commander Zhai Zhigang and astronaut Ye Guangfu worked with me many times, and we cooperated very well. The two space lectures were successfully completed and showed their own unique style.
The content of our space classroom is getting richer and richer, which cannot be separated from the strong support of the ground support team. From course setting to script writing to competition and drills, scientific research support personnel put in a lot of effort. In order to complete the series of space science popularization activities, Huang Weifen, the chief designer of the astronaut system, put in a lot of effort. The heavy preliminary work and a lot of communication left her with a sore throat and was speechless. Even so, she insisted on meticulously considering every detail of space teaching.
Manned spaceflight is a systematic project, and the same is true for space teaching. Collective wisdom must be activated and collective strength must be exerted.The duration of space teaching is limited, but the spiritual connotation it radiates and reflects is infinite. I hope that more adults and children can cultivate the spirit of unity and cooperation in their future study and work, give full play to team strength, and benefit everyone, so that they can stand higher, see farther, and walk more steadily.
In the subsequent space station missions, we will carry out in-depth science education activities through various forms such as building science education bases, recruiting primary and secondary schools for on-board experiments, astronauts teaching on-orbit, and interactive communication between space and earth. I believe that through our joint efforts, more people will get closer to aerospace and love aerospace.
As the China Space Station experimental platform is improving day by day, I believe that the future space classroom will be more exciting. Let’s meet in the next class, see you there!
★ "Space Teacher" Wang Yaping demonstrated the "Space Happy Ball" experiment. Pictures provided by the Shenzhou 13 flight crew
(4 Military Room·Produced by China Military Horn )
