Local students interact with Chinese astronauts in space
Gaborone Secondary School’s (GSS) best 20 students had an opportunity Monday afternoon to interact with Taikonauts - Chinese astronauts.
The three Taikonauts - Cheng Dong, Liu Yang, and Cai Xuzhe are part of a six-month space life expedition at Tiangong Space Station in outer space.
Chinese Ambassador to Botswana,
His Excellency Wang Xuefeng said China has never left its African brothers and sisters behind in their bid to explore outer space.
He added that space cooperation has become a key area and an important highlight in China-Africa practical cooperation.
Xuefeng indicated that this space exploration partnership between Africa and China is evident in China, supplying space infrastructure and sharing joint research and development with African states.
The bond promotes the economic and social development of African countries and brings benefits to African people.
“In helping Africa promote aerospace capacity building, China attaches great importance to its young generation,” he said adding that China and Africa have decided to set up a youth space alliance as a platform for space exchanges between Chinese and African school students.
Xuefeng urged learners to work hard as they are the future of Africa. He said by hard work they can achieve anything and take the continent of Africa to greater heights.
In November 2020, China signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Botswana for the Provision of Equipment under the South-South Botswana Cooperation for addressing Climate change.
The agreement is expected to bring equipment for a multisatellite meteorological satellite data mobile receiving and processing system, which will be handed over to Botswana for climate change response in the “near future”.
Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Simon Coles noted that the learners have witnessed an unusual experience as it is not every day that learners get the opportunity to talk to astronauts in real-time.
“The question we should all ask ourselves is why not us.” Coles noted that learners should be inspired by the technological advancements that have happened from the first moon landing and be motivated to add to such developments in the future.
Coles reminded learners that fitness, mental strength, hard work, and agility are key attributes of Tiakonauts and learners should pick up these traits to improve their studies.
Learners from select African countries – Egypt, Algeria, Somalia, and Uganda - asked questions about how the Taikonauts were surviving in outer space and how they complete simple day-to-day tasks such as bathing.
The Taikonauts noted that they are able to conduct research in outer space through cuttingedge technology and they have prepared very hard to be where they are.
Their message to learners is that a curious mind and hard work will get them anywhere they want to get.
GSS Head Teacher, Lesedi Chabangu said it is exciting that their learners tapped into the space-earth dialogue. Chabangu urged her learners to work hard and leverage the support handed over by China.
The school Student Representative, Simon Mokgaosi indicated that to witness Taikonauts out in space is not only humbling but also inspiring. Mokgaosi aspires to be an astronaut and promises that they will work hard to turn around the reputation of GSS in society.
GSS students unveiled a model of a robotic car that they had built in honour of the humbling opportunity to be part of a cohort of learners who got the chance to interact with people in outer space. The robotic model is controlled by a remote control that they built.