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To enhance local secondary students' understanding of China's advances in aerospace science and foster a culture of innovation in Hong Kong, the Home Affairs Bureau and the China Manned Space Agency jointly organised the Space Science Experiment Design Competition for Hong Kong Secondary School Students. The competition was co-organised by the Education Bureau and implemented by the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), the China Astronaut Research and Training Center and the China Academy of Space Technology.
The competition received an enthusiastic response. Following the final judging, the winning teams of the various prizes were selected and commended at an award presentation ceremony today (May 23). The Acting Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, and the Deputy Chief Designer of the China Manned Space Program, Mr Zheng Min, officiated at the ceremony. The Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, and the Acting Secretary for Home Affairs, Ms Florence Hui, praised the awardees at the ceremony. An astronaut of Shenzhou-10, Mr Zhang Xiaoguang, also attended the ceremony to share his aerospace experience with the students.
At the ceremony, Mrs Lam said that China's space technology is developing rapidly, and noted that the competition has provided a valuable learning opportunity to local secondary students to make use of their knowledge in science and creativity to design experiments suitable to the space environment. She said that the event has aroused their interest in innovative technology, and at the same time enhanced their understanding of China's achievements in aerospace science and technology.
Mr Zheng said that the competition has played a significant role in promoting exchanges between the Mainland and Hong Kong in various areas including technology, culture and education. He pointed out that the participating students from Hong Kong demonstrated a high standard of knowledge in science. They were innovative, scientific-minded and meticulous in their scientific pursuit, and showed a proactive and co-operative team spirit, crafting a fresh image of Hong Kong youngsters, he added.
Launched in October 2014, the competition encouraged secondary students across the territory to design experiments that are feasible for being conducted in space. A total of 70 entries were received from 286 students in 47 secondary schools. Comprising physics and biology experiments, the entries feature diverse and creative themes; many are closely related to daily life such as plant growth, animal behaviour, sports and entertainment, as well as food.
The judging panel assessed the entries of the preliminary round and shortlisted 20 top teams for the final round based on five criteria, namely innovation, scientific validity, experimental feasibility, safety, and clarity of presentation. In March this year, the 20 teams of finalists had face-to-face technical guidance from aerospace experts from Beijing. Following final assessment interviews by the experts of the judging panel in May, the Champion, 1st Runner Up, 2nd Runner Up, Most Creative Award and Best Potential Award were selected.
In the next few months, the HKPC will help construct the winning experiment designs into models that are feasible for being conducted in space. The designs that can pass the testing of the China Manned Space Agency will have the opportunity to be carried onboard Tiangong-2 in 2016 for demonstration by astronauts in zero gravity. The awardees will also have the opportunity to visit Beijing Aerospace City or the spacecraft launch centre on the Mainland and meet with space engineers.
For the results of the Space Science Experiment Design Competition for Hong Kong Secondary School Students, please visit its webpage (spaceexperiment.hkpc.org).
Ends/Saturday, May 23, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:20
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