Participants in the Young Astronaut Training Camp 2023 shared their learning experiences during the space training programme and were presented with certificates today.

The 30 secondary students selected for the programme, implemented by the Space Museum, were taught astronomy and space science-related topics at the training camp, which ran from July 29 to August 5 in Beijing and Leng Hu in Qinghai.

They visited key science research and astronomical facilities such as the National Astronomical Observatories headquarters as well as the Miyun and Xinglong observing stations.

Apart from attending a science lecture by aerospace experts, experiencing a rocket launch and life through virtual reality, the space cadets also met the country’s first astronaut Yang Liwei.

This year marks the first time the camp visited the Leng Hu Mars Camp in Qinghai, which features a striking resemblance to the Martian landscape.

Additionally, this year’s training camp is the first since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. The 30 students were selected as young astronauts out of more than 160 applicants from around 100 local secondary schools.