Starry-eyed about exploring space
When Jessica Kung Sze-nga was little, she loved nothing more than looking up at the dark night sky with thousands of glittering stars. The mysterious universe fascinated her and she dreamed about exploring the stars when she grew up.
Jessica, now 14, and her younger brother James Kung Chun-hin , 13, are still striving to explore the universe by either becoming astronauts or contributing to the field of astronomy in the future.
'When asked about my ambitions, I always said I wanted to be an astronaut,' Jessica said.
Jessica and James are two of 30 students who joined Young Astronaut Training Camp in Beijing and Xichang last year. The camp this year will be organised jointly by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, the China Astronaut Research and Training Centre, and the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. It will last for seven days.
Chan Ki-hung, curator of the Space Museum, said the programme was valuable for students.
'We aim to provide an opportunity for secondary school students to appreciate China's remarkable achievements in space technology, to motivate and educate them in astronomy and space science and undergo Chinese astronaut training,' he said.
The students will visit major space facilities in China including the China Academy of Space Technology, Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Centre, the National Astronomical Observatories and Xichang Satellite Launch Centre.
The training camp runs from late July to early August in Beijing. Candidates should be full-time secondary school students aged 12 or above and be nominated by their school.
Candidates should be 1.4 to 1.75 metres in height and in good health, independent, extrovert, confident and interested in space science.
Three rounds of selection including a quiz, fitness test, communication skills and overall performance assessment. All local secondary schools can now nominate students to join until May 31.
