Shenzhou IX astronauts meet HK students

HONG KONG - A dialogue session between Tiangong-1/Shenzhou IX delegation and some 1,000 Hong Kong students was held in Hong Kong on Saturday amid joyful atmosphere.

Shenzhou IX astronauts Liu Wang, Jing Haipeng and Liu Yang (L-R) listen to a local student's speech in Hong Kong, south China, Aug. 11, 2012. A dialogue between astronauts, Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang who partook in China's Tiangong-1/Shenzhou IX space docking mission, and Hong Kong students was held Saturday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. [Photo/Xinhua]

The students, coming from more than 140 local secondary and primary schools, cheered and applauded while the delegation, including the three astronauts Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang, showed up at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center where the dialogue took place.

"What are the chief qualifications to become an astronaut?" asked Cheung Hon Ching from Queen's College, who was among the four students chosen to have direct conversation with the delegation on stage.

Apart from maintaining good health as told by Liu Wang who controlled the Shenzhou IX spacecraft to dock with the Tiangong-1 space lab module, veteran astronaut Jing Haipeng added that perfect psychological condition and willing to sacrifice are of the paramount importance.

Jing encouraged students to seize the chance to train up their mental quality such as by proactively raising question in class. He also mentioned that he was not a qualified son, husband and father as the schedule for an astronaut's training was tight.

Liu Yang, China's first female astronaut, has always been the focus. She described the life of an astronaut as "tedious and always under high pressure" when asked by elementary student Alex Fan Wing Kuen.

"I feel fortunate to have become the first Chinese female in space but I dare not to be proud," she said that much perseverance is needed to fulfill her astronautic career and great support from the country and people have helped her largely to strive for the best.

During the two-hour event, each student who raised a question received a gift from the astronauts.

Cheung told reporters that he was greatly impressed by Jing's sacrificial spirit. "Now, I know that an astronaut has to give up much of his personal time and space and work really hard to reach success."

Fan, who is fond of studying about space ships, told the reporters that he was thrilled to be able to talk to the astronauts face to face and he was a bit sleepless the night before. "I have always wanted to become a spaceman and I hope my dream will come true."

The three astronauts, who had fulfilled China's first manned space docking mission this June, arrived in Hong Kong on Friday for a 4-day visit.