HONG KONG: National aerospace scientists were greeted with growing enthusiasm and passion by the Hong Kong community-especially young space fans eager to have closer contact with the top brains-as their public tour of the city entered its second day.
As part of the science delegation’s five-day visit to Hong Kong, two lectures for students and an exchange activity between scholars were held on Thursday at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of Hong Kong.
During the lecture at HK Polytechnic, Xie Jun, deputy chief designer of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, and Zhang He, executive director of the Chang’e 4 lunar probe project, shared the advanced technologies applied in the satellite program and also the nation’s future plans for lunar exploration.
In another lecture, Long Lehao, chief designer of the Long March rocket series, and Sun Zezhou, chief designer of the Tianwen 1 Mars probe, spoke about the nation’s achievements in exploring Mars and outer space, as well as their personal experiences pursuing scientific dreams.
During the exchange session in the afternoon, Xie, Zhang, Sun and five young scholars from the Chinese mainland exchanged views and feelings with 23 HK Polytechnic teachers and students.
During another event, Zhao Xiaojin, vice-president of the China Academy of Space Technology, a world-class spacecraft designer and manufacturer, said the warm welcome received in Hong Kong was beyond the delegation’s expectations.
After Long ended the lecture and stepped off the podium, he was quickly surrounded by students eager to talk with him. The enthusiastic fans queued up to shake his hand, ask for his autograph and take photos with him.
Cornelius Leung, a 21-year-old aviation engineering student at HK Polytechnic, said he decided to attend the lecture to learn about the engineering technologies behind aerospace exploration to enhance his professional knowledge. But, in the end, he was more impressed by the spirit and beliefs that supported the scientists in overcoming hardships in their quests.
Wu Bo, a professor at HK Polytechnic who led a team in the nation’s Mars project, also attended the lecture at his university.
– The Daily Mail-China Daily News exchange item
