In a dialogue, students from eight African countries via video link were inspired by the three Shenzhou-14 Chinese astronauts, or taikonauts, currently in China’s space station for a six-month mission.
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An astronaut from the People’s Republic of China is called Taikonaut.
The event, co-hosted by the Mission of China to the African Union (AU), China Manned Space Agency (CMS) and the African Union Commission (AUC), was streamed live.
It’s the first time that the taikonauts had a direct dialogue with African teenagers.
The taikonauts are Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe.
They were sent into orbit in June to help assemble the country’s space station and have spent over three months in space.
The trio answered questions ranging from their life in orbit to scientific experiments conducted aboard the space station, for students from Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and South Africa.
The Deputy Director of CMS, Lin Xiqiang, introduced China’s space station to the viewers in a video message to the event.
“The Tiangong space station belongs to China, and it also belongs to the world.
“It will be an open platform for people worldwide to explore the universe and conduct scientific research,” Lin said.
He encouraged the African students to work hard, noting that if they can become astronauts in the future, they might join the taikonauts’ mission in China’s space station.
The AUC Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mohammed Belhocine, said the event is “another milestone in the gesture of China-Africa cooperation in motivating and engaging young Africans on space matters.”
For Hu Changchun, Ambassador of Mission of China to the AU, said collaboration in the space sector had become a highlight of China-Africa cooperation, and the two sides have achieved fruitful results in cooperation in areas such as satellite launches, construction of aerospace infrastructure, sharing of satellite resources, and joint research and development of satellites.
In Nigeria, dozens students were motivated after having a glimpse of life in outer space during the dialogue with the three Chinese astronauts.
The Nigerian participants in the dialogue converged on the Chinese Embassy in Abuja, Nigerian capital.
In a question to the taikonauts, a 14-year-old Nigerian student Leon Onunaiju, asked about what they do in their spare time in space.
Responding, Liu, the only female taikonaut explained that the three taikonauts have a common hobby of viewing the earth from outer space, to see and take pictures of its photogenic view.
Liu, who explained that the taikonauts also spend time chatting with their families and friends, as well as listening to music, and reading, among other interesting activities, during their spare time.
According to Young Onunaiju, who aspires to be an astronaut in the future, “It is a place where, when you first see or hear about it, it is mind-blowing. I want to know more about it. [I know] it is very interesting. I’m sure things like recreation or any other thing will be far better in space,” he said.
Onunaiju said the dialogue had caused him to have a stronger conviction that China and Africa can cooperate on many different levels, including space technology development in the future.
“I feel uplifted, I feel great. I almost felt like I was in the real action of being in space. For people up in space to answer you and talk to you, and also explain to you about how they feel in space and what they feel,” the young Nigerian said, adding that he was greatly inspired and proud to have participated in the dialogue. “And this is just a stepping stone in my career of being an astronaut or anything I want to be. So, this is really a great opportunity.”
In the words of Mariam Sefiu, another student participant who had aimed to become an ophthalmologist in the future, the dialogue with Shenzhou-14 taikonauts, had ignited in her a burning passion to be in space.
“I was very excited. I want to be like her. I feel very happy to have seen her in space,” 15-year-old Mariam said, particularly referring to Liu, China’s female taikonaut.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the AU, and the event is one of the activities celebrating the occasion.
The event “Talk with Taikonauts”, is focused on China’s Tiangong space station and China-Africa aerospace cooperation.
