"Tiangong Classroom" is about to start. What are the tricks of China's first space class on the space station?

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China's first space science education brand

"Tiangong Classroom"

It’s about to be launched!

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According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, the first space teaching activity of the Chinese space station will be broadcast live to the world in the near future. The "Tiangong Classroom" will be launched in series throughout the construction and on-orbit operation of the Chinese space station in conjunction with the manned flight mission. The teaching will be conducted by Chinese astronauts as "space teachers" with young people as the main target, and will be carried out in a coordinated and interactive manner between the earth and the sky.

Image source: China Manned Spaceflight

As a national space laboratory, the space station is also an important base for space science education. It contains unique and rich educational resources and has special advantages in inspiring the general public, especially young people, to carry forward the scientific spirit and love the aerospace industry.

What are the requirements for teaching at the “highest” podium 400 kilometers away?

What’s special about the first lecture of “Tiangong Classroom”?

What can people expect from future space classrooms?

Yang Yuguang, vice chairman of the International Astronautical Federation's Space Transportation Committee, gave an exclusive interview to China News Service reporters to interpret the above issues.

Source: China News Video

The following is an edited transcript of the interview:

Teaching aids for space classes require special design and consideration

Q: China's space station is about to hold its first space teaching activity. What preparations do astronauts and ground staff need to make for space teaching? Compared with ground teaching, what is special about space teaching? What requirements does the space station environment put forward for teaching?

Yang Yuguang: Teaching in space requires meticulous preparation. From an engineering and technical perspective, the biggest challenge is a smooth communication link. To ensure that the video is clear and not stuck, the "Tianlian" relay satellite, the space station, and the ground tracking and control station need to work closely together. In addition, the auxiliary teaching aids used for teaching in space need to be sent to the space station via the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft or with the Shenzhou spacecraft crew. Although the Tianzhou spacecraft can carry more than 6 tons of supplies, most of them are consumables and scientific research supplies for astronauts' lives, leaving little space for teaching aids, which requires careful calculation.

The core module of Tianhe-1 has a volume of about 50 cubic meters, which is much larger than Tiangong-1. However, most of this space is occupied by astronauts' scientific research, daily necessities and space station operation equipment. Therefore, compared with ground teaching, the weight and volume of teaching aids are limited and need to be specially designed and considered. During the transportation process, teaching aids will also experience the harsh environment of overweight and severe vibration, so vibration tests and other tests must be conducted on the teaching aids in advance.

In addition, teaching in space must take into account the impact of the weightless environment. For example, it must ensure that teaching aids can be used in weightless conditions, and astronauts must practice how to maintain stability when filming in weightless conditions.

Video screenshots

Q: In 2013, astronaut Wang Yaping, with the assistance of Nie Haisheng and Zhang Xiaoguang, conducted the first space lecture, demonstrating experiments such as mass testing, simple pendulum motion, gyroscope motion, and making water film and water ball. What are the requirements for selecting experiments in space lectures? What types of courses are more suitable for space lectures?

Yang Yuguang: In addition to the constraints on teaching aids, in terms of course selection, phenomena that are different between heaven and earth are more suitable as teaching content, such as physics and chemistry phenomena under microgravity conditions.

The research conducted by astronauts in the space station includes two categories: scientific research and engineering research. The former is the study of natural phenomena, such as fluid flow under microgravity conditions, object combustion and other physical and chemical phenomena, and the latter includes engineering practices, such as water purification systems and urine treatment systems. In fact, Liu Boming, a member of the Shenzhou-12 astronaut crew, has previously briefly introduced where drinking water in space comes from. I think these can be used as important teaching contents in the future, and astronauts can conduct more detailed and in-depth demonstrations on site.

Data map: On November 24, Zhai Zhigang and Ye Guangfu of the 13th crew took high-definition photos of Wang Yaping as space photographers. Image source: China Manned Space Engineering Office

"Tiangong Classroom" can conduct more comprehensive interaction between heaven and earth

Q: This space class will be broadcast live to the world. How will this class be different from the one held 8 years ago? What experience has been accumulated from the one held 8 years ago? What is the significance of arranging the Shenzhou 13 astronaut crew to conduct the first space class on the Chinese space station?

Yang Yuguang: Compared with 8 years ago, I think it is very important that the attention paid to China's space program has greatly changed. Recently, there was an event called "Photographing Tiangong from All Over the World", where people from all over the world competed to photograph the transit of the Chinese space station. I started photographing Tiangong and the International Space Station a long time ago. In the past, such activities did not attract much attention in China, but now the Chinese space station and astronauts have attracted worldwide attention, which has been reflected on foreign social media. This global live broadcast will surely attract more attention from the world.

The second difference is that the social benefits of China's first space lecture have gradually become apparent. Eight years ago, more than 60 million primary and secondary school students watched the live broadcast. Now some of them have graduated and even become astronauts. Teacher Yaping's teaching at that time has borne fruit. The opening of the "Tiangong Classroom" is a continuation of the past.

In addition, compared with the first space lecture on Tiangong-1, the display space for this lecture is larger, the communication support technology is more mature, and more sufficient space-ground interaction can be carried out. The astronauts gave lectures in space during their busy missions, which reflects the importance that the country and the Manned Space Engineering Office attach to space science education.

Data map: At about 10:00 on June 20, 2013, my country's first space class began. Female astronaut Wang Yaping was the main speaker, becoming China's first "space teacher". The picture shows students from Beijing Renmin University High School listening attentively. Photo by Liao Pan, a reporter from China News Service

Q: The China Manned Space Engineering Office recently received a letter from students of the 2013 "Space Class" to teacher Wang Yaping, saying that the space class eight years ago planted the seeds of their space dreams. What do you think is the enlightenment role of space classes for primary and secondary school students?

Yang Yuguang: In the 1960s and 1970s, many American children were inspired by the Apollo moon landing and developed a strong interest in engineering and natural sciences, which also provided a talent base for the economic leap of the United States in the 1990s. In fact, there is a similar phenomenon in China. Yang Liwei's first flight into space and Wang Yaping's first space lecture have greatly increased the interest of primary and secondary school students in space exploration, physics, mathematics, etc. This is not only very important for the construction of talent echelons in China's aerospace industry, but also has an immeasurable role in promoting the country's development in engineering, natural sciences, etc.

Building bridges between the public and aerospace is extremely important

Q: In 2007, foreign astronauts completed the first space teaching in the International Space Station. Could you please introduce the history of foreign space teaching? What is the current situation of space teaching and space science popularization work at home and abroad?

Yang Yuguang: The first space teaching had a tortuous process. The United States launched the "Teacher in Space Project" and selected two teachers from tens of thousands of applications, McAuliffe and Barbara Morgan, one main and one backup. McAuliffe died in the Challenger accident in 1986, and the program was later cancelled. Barbara Morgan passed the training selection and became a professional astronaut of NASA. In 2007, she conducted the first formal space teaching for humans on the International Space Station.

Why do we emphasize "formal"? In fact, there are many simple space science activities in the world, some of which are real-time via relay satellites, and some are recorded and broadcasted, in various forms. For example, Malaysian astronaut Shukel and South Korea's first female astronaut Lee So-yeon have both carried out science activities in space. Such activities are very common abroad, not just in space powers, which shows the recognition and importance that countries attach to space education activities.

For example, in the past, amateur radio enthusiasts used the frequencies provided by the ITU to make their own radio stations. At that time, the Mir space station was equipped with a special radio station. When it passed over a certain place, astronauts could communicate directly with local radio enthusiasts through the radio station without going through relay satellites or ground stations.

It is worth mentioning that although such informal space science popularization activities are very frequent internationally, formal space lectures like those in China are still rare, so its significance is very prominent.

Live Screenshot

Q: With the long-term operation of the Chinese space station in orbit, China's first space science education brand "Tiangong Classroom" will be launched in series, and Chinese astronauts will serve as "space teachers" to carry out space science education activities in a coordinated and interactive manner. What is the significance of China's series of space science education activities in the future? What other roles can the Chinese space station play in space science popularization?

Yang Yuguang: The sustainable development of the space industry cannot be separated from the understanding and support of the public. Space activities are becoming more and more mature, especially China's space industry has gone from early technology accumulation and verification to today's blossoming and bearing fruit, providing returns and support for the national economy. However, there are also some space activities, such as manned space flight, deep space exploration and space science, which require high investment, high threshold and long payback period.

In this regard, it is particularly important to build a bridge between the public and aerospace. It is necessary to let the public understand these characteristics, understand and support the aerospace industry. Compared with satellites and other spacecraft, manned spaceflight is more suitable for aerospace science education. China also regards space science education as one of the important functions of the space station. Teaching in space should be a natural thing.

In the future, aerospace science popularization education activities can develop in two directions: breadth and depth. First, the teaching content will be broader, not limited to physical and chemical phenomena under microgravity conditions, but also introduce space science research and engineering research; second, more in-depth and influential activities can be carried out. China already has a cubic satellite made by students. With the space launch mission, space science experiments designed by students can also be sent into space in the future. For example, the US space shuttle once flew a scientific experiment project designed by Chinese students, one of which was to study the growth and reproduction of Paramecium in a weightless environment.

This is not the first time that Chinese astronauts have taught in space.

Course Review

At 10 a.m. on June 20, 2013, in the Tiangong-1 module more than 300 kilometers away from the Earth, the three astronauts of Shenzhou-10 gave my country's first space class to young people across the country. The lecture was given by my country's first "space teacher" Wang Yaping, with Nie Haisheng as the collaborator and Zhang Xiaoguang as the cameraman.

China's "First Lesson in Space"

With the cooperation of two "teaching assistants", Teacher Wang demonstrated five basic physics experiments to the ground classroom, showing physical phenomena such as the motion characteristics of objects in a weightless environment and the surface tension characteristics of liquids.

Object mass measurement

Quality Test Demonstration

There is a bracket-shaped device on the wall of Tiangong-1, which is a mass measuring instrument. Nie Haisheng fixed himself on one end of the bracket, and Wang Yaping gently pulled the bracket apart, and then let go, and the bracket returned to its original position under the action of the spring, and the LED screen on the device could display Nie Haisheng's weight.

Wang Yaping:

The physics principle used by the mass measuring instrument is Newton's second law of motion: F (force) = m (mass) × a (acceleration). The spring cam mechanism on the mass measuring instrument can generate a constant force F, and then the speed v and time t of the bracket reset are measured by the grating speed measuring device, and the acceleration (a=v/t) is calculated, and the mass of the object (m=F/a) can be calculated.

Simple pendulum motion

Simple pendulum motion demonstration

Gently pull the small yellow steel ball tied to the T-shaped bracket to a certain position and then let go. The ball does not swing back and forth as is common on the ground, but stops in mid-air. However, if you push it lightly along the tangent direction with your fingers, the ball will move in a circle around the axis of the bracket.

Wang Yaping:

In space, the ball is in a weightless environment and cannot swing back and forth like on the ground, so if you put the ball in any position, it will be still. But when you give it a slight initial velocity, the ball will move in a circle around the pendulum axis.

Gyroscopic motion

Gyroscopic motion demonstration

If you put a gyroscope in the air and push the top of it gently, it will roll and fly far away. But if you spin the gyroscope and then give it a disturbance force, the gyroscope will no longer roll, but keep its fixed axis and fly forward.

Wang Yaping:

The axis-fixing characteristics of high-speed rotating gyroscopes are widely used in the aerospace field. The Tiangong-1 target spacecraft is equipped with a variety of gyroscope orientation instruments, which can accurately measure the flight attitude of the spacecraft.

Water film experiment

Water film production demonstration

A metal ring was gently placed into the water bag, and then slowly pulled out, and a large water film was formed on the metal ring. This is because in the weightless state of space, the surface tension characteristics of the liquid are highlighted, so ordinary water can easily form a beautiful water film. Wang Yaping also pasted a piece of plastic with a Chinese knot pattern on the surface of the water film, and the water film remained intact.

The water film with the Chinese knot plastic sheet attached is still intact

Wang Yaping:

If the poet Li Bai lived in heaven, he probably would not have been able to write the famous line "A waterfall plunges three thousand feet", because water cannot plunge straight down in a weightless environment.

Water Ball Experiment

Water Ball Making Demonstration

The water in the drinking water bag was slowly injected into the water film, and the water film turned into a large, sparkling water ball with a string of small, pearl-like bubbles in the middle of the water ball. In order to verify whether injecting air can actually form bubbles, Nie Haisheng used a syringe to extract the small bubbles that had been formed previously, and Wang Yaping then injected the gas back into the water ball. The air formed a large bubble inside the water ball and remained motionless. When air was further injected into the other side of the water ball, another bubble was formed, and the two bubbles did not merge together, existing independently of each other. Then, Wang Yaping also injected red liquid into the water ball, turning the crystal clear water ball pink.

Beautiful pink water ball

Wang Yaping:

Do you think this water ball looks like a lens? You can even see my reflection through it!

In addition, through video calls, the three astronauts also conducted a "Questions and Answers between Heaven and Earth" with teachers and students on the ground. Nie Haisheng also performed "mid-air meditation" to show the wonder of the weightless environment.

Nie Haisheng performs "Suspended Meditation"

Students who haven't watched it, come and catch up↓↓↓

We hope that in this class

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Comprehensive sources: China News Service, China Manned Spaceflight, CCTV News, China Manned Spaceflight Official Website