Space teaching: The "highest" classroom in the world, with teachers and students separated by 400 kilometers, is like being there.

Whether it is ancient people's night observation of the sky, the divination of the stars, or today's space exploration and interstellar travel, human beings are always full of curiosity and fantasy about outer space. Whether it is fairy tales or anecdotes, people are eager to fly into the sky and see the world outside the earth. But what the ancients probably never dreamed of was that with the rapid development of science and technology in the last two centuries, human beings finally realized their long-cherished wish. We not only sent astronauts out of the earth, but even started classes in outer space, realizing the interaction between heaven and earth. In this issue, we will talk about it, which is called the highest classroom in the world: space teaching.

Let's go back to August 27th. 1984. Ronald Reagan, then president of the United States, announced a project called "Space Teacher", which planned to send a civilian teacher who was not an astronaut into space. The reason why NASA chooses civilian teachers is to narrow the gap between aerospace projects and ordinary people, make people (especially young people, especially students) more supportive of aerospace projects, and encourage people to study and apply for jobs in the aerospace field.

After the news was released, more than 40,000 invitations were sent to teachers everywhere, and 1 1000 teachers expressed their willingness to participate in the project and submitted their applications to NASA. After that, NASA will classify these applications and send them to the education departments of each state, and then each state will select 2-3 qualified applicants. The selected 1 14 people will gather together for the next examination, and finally 10 players will be selected for the final. This 10 people will receive more professional training to see if their bodies are competent for space missions.

On July 1985 of the following year, George H.W. Bush, then Vice President of the United States, announced that Christa McAuliffe, a 36-year-old female teacher, became the first space teacher in the project (STS-5 1-L). Barbara Morgan, then a 34-year-old female teacher, was also chosen as mcauliffe's replacement. The former thinks she is a lucky dog. She planned to teach two 15-minute courses on the space shuttle, but she never thought about this space program, which was an unfortunate trip for her. The latter, Barbara Morgan, became the first space teacher in America 20 years later. What happened in this, please press the like button in front of the screen to support Lao Fan, and we will continue to look down.

1October 28th, 1986+65438, the mission codenamed STS-5 1-L was officially launched, and the eyes of the whole world focused on the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As the first space teacher, mcauliffe excitedly gave his last speech before the launch, hoping everyone could watch his lecture in space on time. On the same day 1 1: 38, the space shuttle challenger started its tenth mission with seven astronauts. However, just 73 seconds after the rocket was launched, the fuel in the rocket leaked due to the failure of the SRB sealing ring on the rocket on the right side of the space shuttle. With a loud noise, Challenger exploded into smoke, killing all seven astronauts, including teacher Krista mcauliffe, who was supposed to be the first space teacher. What's more, the launch mission was broadcast live, and almost all students in the United States witnessed the tragic accident and the death of an excellent teacher. America's first space teacher program ended in tragedy.

The day after the accident, when people were still immersed in grief, Reagan made a speech on national television, assuring the whole country that the space teacher program would continue. However, in 1990, NASA decided to cancel the space teacher program on the grounds that space flight was too dangerous and would not endanger the lives of civilian teachers. (PS: The speed of light hitting the face really caught Lao Fan off guard! )

Just two years later, namely 1992, China also formulated a "three-step" strategy for manned space flight. The first step is to launch a manned spaceship. The second step is to solve the docking problem between the spacecraft and the spacecraft after the success of the first flight. The ultimate goal of this strategy is to build our own space station.

On the other hand, although NASA slapped Reagan in the face, Reagan chose another way. Since the space teacher program was rejected, wouldn't it be nice to change the name? Thus, in the month of 1998+0, a new term, educator astronaut, was born, which means to let teachers give up their teaching career and become space mission experts, that is, full-time astronauts. (Here, Lao Fan has to say that the thinking of Americans is really wonderful. Can changing the name solve the problem? The space shuttle explosion was not caused by astronauts! Isn't this equivalent to stealing a clock and biting Rinrin? )

On August 8, 2007, Barbara Morgan, a substitute from mcauliffe, waited for 2 1 year, worked as a manipulator operator and transfer coordinator in STS-18, and flew to the International Space Station on the space shuttle Endeavour. In the narrow space of the International Space Station, 55-year-old teacher Barbara Morgan gave the first space class in human history, and several other astronauts became Morgan's assistants. In the 25-minute live course, Teacher Morgan showed the life of astronauts in space and the difference between space and earth space, and answered questions sent by students in real time, which also made Teacher Barbara Morgan the first "space teacher" in human history.

The next year, in 2008, we held the biggest Olympic Games in the world. Besides, I don't know if you still remember. In September of the same year, there was another exciting good news. After China's first astronaut, Mr. Yang Liwei, took the first step of the "three-step" plan in Shenzhou 5, China Shenzhou VII spacecraft carried astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming, Sanming and Jing Haipeng, completed the second and first stages of the "three-step" strategy, and realized China's first extravehicular walk.

On September 20 1 1, Tiangong-1, the first target aircraft of China's manned spaceflight project, was launched. Tiangong-1 is China's first space laboratory in space and the second step of China's "three-step" space strategy. It is worth mentioning that although Tiangong-1 stayed in space for only four years, it stopped data service in 20 18, re-entered the atmosphere and returned to land. However, "Tiangong-1" has repeatedly completed the rendezvous and docking tasks with Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 spacecraft, which has made great contributions to the development of China's space industry.

20 1 1,1,201in June, China's Shenzhou-8 and Shenzhou-9 spacecraft were launched one after another, and the rendezvous and docking with Tiangong-1 target aircraft were completed in unmanned space and manned space respectively. Since then, China people have broken through and mastered the automatic and manual rendezvous and docking technology by their own efforts.

On June 20 13, Shenzhou 10 successfully completed China's fifth manned space mission. The three astronauts in this mission are commander Nie Haisheng, assistant Zhang and another female assistant Wang Yaping. In this issue, Lao Fan wants to introduce Wang Yaping, a female astronaut. A friend may ask, "Why do you call an assistant for a while, an astronaut for a while, and a teacher for a while?" ? The answer is very simple, because on June 20th, 20 13, in the morning 10, Mr. Wang Yaping, as the keynote speaker, gave a video science lesson to people on earth through live connection. Teacher Wang Yaping said: "I hope that through this activity, primary and secondary school students can get close to space, understand space and love space." . During the 50-minute course, three teachers showed their life in Tiangong No.1 and many vivid experiments in a lively and friendly way. I won't endorse the specific experiment content, but share it with you on the screen: to understand the characteristics of object motion and the surface tension of liquid under weightlessness, and to deepen the understanding of basic physical concepts such as mass, weight and Newton's law. If you can't understand these words on the screen, or are interested in the course content, I recommend you to take a look at Fan Zhen SR. Although this space lecture is mainly aimed at primary and secondary school students, as a post-80s veteran, I also read it with relish from beginning to end. Most importantly, I was surprised to find that our Tiangong-1 is more like a space station than that international space station. Let me show you a picture. This international space station is really crowded! It was not easy for Mr Morgan to teach this course at that time! However, at the age of 20 13, 62-year-old teacher Barbara Morgan, the first "space teacher", after watching teacher Wang Yaping's lecture, The doyen also wrote a special letter to pay tribute to Wang Yaping, highly praised and expected her teaching activities, and expressed cordial greetings and blessings to the Shenzhou-10 astronauts. Wang Yaping, who was still in Tiangong No.1 Middle School, also wrote back to Ms. Morgan by email after seeing the letter. The reply is as follows:

"Dear Ms. Barbara Morgan, my colleagues and I are very happy to receive your letter from distant space. Thank you for your concern and wishes, and express your admiration and respect for your contribution to the world's manned space flight and education. Today, we successfully completed the space teaching activities, shared the magic and beauty of space with hundreds of millions of China students, and gained knowledge and happiness. I hope you and teachers and students all over the world will like it after seeing it. During the flight, I often look at our beautiful home through the porthole. Space is entrusted with the beautiful yearning of mankind, and knowledge is the ladder to space. We are willing to work with you to open the dreams of young friends all over the world who love science and explore the universe. "

At this moment, Lao Fan seemed to see the handover of astronauts in the new and old centuries. Two people who are 30 years apart and come from different regions meet because of the same career and dream. Although we have different languages, we can express our respect for each other in words. We live on the same planet, and we also yearn for the vast universe, so we are making unremitting efforts. Mr Morgan's letter to Wang Yaping seems to indicate that the International Space Station is about to leave the historical stage, while the China Space Station will stand at the top of space. At this moment, I hope everyone in front of the screen will praise China Aerospace.

The time has come to 202 1, and the Tiangong Space Station in China has been built and is being tested. It quietly waits for the first tourists in space. In June of the same year, Shenzhou XII manned spacecraft successfully sent three astronauts, Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, into space. On June 7, 200212008 18: 48 Beijing time, the three men successively entered the core cabin of Tianhe, successfully completing the three-month flight mission. On September 17 of the same year, Shenzhou XII successfully sent three astronauts back to Earth, which was the first time for China people to enter their own space station.

Only two months later, the Shenzhou XIII manned spacecraft blasted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 0: 23 on 202 1, 16 10 and flew to China Space Station. The three astronauts are commander Zhai Zhigang, assistant Ye Guangfu, and female astronaut Wang Yaping, who taught in Sky One on 20 13. In addition to completing various space missions within six months, the three astronauts also took valuable time to open the first "Tiangong Classroom" at the Tiangong Space Station, which was broadcast live by CCTV. The speaker is Wang Yaping, who directs Zhai Zhigang as a tool man, assisted by Yang Hongbo. The three teachers joined hands again to give a lively and interesting popular science class to the people of the earth. (PS: Here, Lao Fan still strongly recommends it to all friends in front of the screen. When you have the opportunity, you must look at the content of the sky class. I really like it! )

Our Tiangong space station module is not only rich in content, suitable for all ages, but also will replace the International Space Station and become the "highest" module in human history. How do you say this? We should know that the orbital height of the International Space Station is about: perigee is 320 kilometers, apogee is 350 kilometers; The orbital height of China's Tiangong Space Station is about 400 kilometers perigee and 450 kilometers apogee, which is a veritable "highest classroom". In addition, we are not only ahead in height, but you will find that the interior of China Space Station is better than that of the International Space Station, both in regularity and area. And Lao Fan, I think the most important thing is that several people saved the space station together, and our space station was completed by ourselves. I think there should be applause here.

Ok, friends, that's all for this issue. Finally, Lao Fan wants to ask everyone in front of the screen, if there is an opportunity to go to space and attend the highest Tiangong class in person, would you like to go? Welcome to leave a message in the comment area for discussion. Video production is not easy. I hope you can support me by pressing the like button at the bottom of the screen. I'm Lao Fan, pay attention to subscribing to my channel. See you next time. Goodbye.