BUDAPEST - More than 300 students, scientists, and government officials gathered Friday at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for a special space science Q&A session with Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station.
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Dubbed the "Tiangong Classroom", the event was co-hosted by the China Manned Space Agency, the Chinese Embassy in Hungary, and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. It aimed to deepen growing cooperation between China and Hungary in the fields of aerospace, education, and innovation.
During the session, Shenzhou-20 crew members Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie responded to questions submitted in advance by Hungarian students. In a pre-recorded video, the astronauts also demonstrated zero-gravity science experiments, captivating the audience with examples from space.
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Ferenc Hudecz, vice president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, highlighted the significance of the event. "It highlights China's emergence as a global leader in space research, and its serious commitment to inspiring younger generations and encouraging their curiosity and openness toward the world," he said.
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Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation Laszlo Bodis described the Tiangong research program as "clear evidence of the immense potential that space exploration holds for the benefit of life on Earth."
Chinese Ambassador to Hungary Gong Tao hailed the event as a new chapter in China-Hungary aerospace cooperation. "Only through open cooperation can we climb higher and more dangerous peaks of science and technology," he said.
The event attracted questions from students representing over a hundred Hungarian schools, touching on a wide range of space science topics.
The three-member crew aboard the Tiangong space station was launched into orbit on April 24 for a six-month mission.
