China’s current astronaut crew has been in the Olympic spirit while in orbit.
The 18 crew members Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu from Shenzhou were on board the Tiangong Space Station since End of April and have demonstrated their physical performance in job-related activities, for example Spacewalk with national record.
But the astronauts also recently took the time to recreate some of the sports in which athletes competed at the just-concluded 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Earth.
Tiangong’s own Olympics – which were seen in a video recently released by Chinese broadcaster CCTV – began with mission commander Ye Guangfu handing over an Olympic torch to his crew members Li Cong and Li Guangsu; the handover also included a simulated high jump.
Next, the table tennis match began, demonstrated by Li Guangsu. Ye Guangfu and Li Cong then played volleyball as the Chinese women’s volleyball team competed in Paris.
The astronauts also demonstrated a range of swimming strokes along the three-module Tiangong station. Weightlifting – a much simpler discipline in Microgravity — was also seen.
Related: Weightlessness and its effects on astronauts
The crew also expressed their support for China’s athletes. “May the medals of Chinese Olympic athletes line up from one end of the road to the other. Enjoy the journey and create remarkable moments!” Ye said.
Back on Earth, the United States and China led the medal table with 40 gold medals each, with the United States winning the most medals overall (126 to 91).
The Shenzhou 18 crew will remain in orbit until October or November, after which they will hand over control of Tiangong to the new Shenzhou 19 crew, whose names have not yet been announced.
