Chinese astronauts deliver lecture from space

Three astronauts take questions from 330 elementary and middle school students while in orbit.

The current Shenzhou 10 mission is the second manned trip to the station [AP]

China has held its first classroom lecture from its orbiting space station as part of efforts to popularise the successful manned space flight programme among young people.

Female astronaut Wang Yaping took questions live from among 330 elementary and middle school students at a Beijing high school from aboard the Tiangong 1 prototype space station on Thursday morning.

The class lasted 51-minutes.

Wang displayed basic principles of weightlessness and water surface tension, while fellow crew members Nie Haisheng and Zhang Xiaoguang answered questions about living, working and staying fit aboard the station.

China launched its first crewed mission in 2003 and the Tiangong 1 in 2011.

The current Shenzhou 10 mission is the second crewed trip to the station, due to be replaced by a larger station in 2020.

Source: News Agencies