Students Complete Young Astronaut Training Camp, Inspired by China's Aerospace Achievements

2025-09-02 18:55 Last Updated At：19:08

Students of Young Astronaut Training Camp 2025 share their unforgettable learning experiences

Thirty students from Secondary Two to Secondary Six who participated in the Young Astronaut Training Camp 2025 organised by the Hong Kong Space Museum have completed their nine-day training camp in Beijing, Jiuquan, Xi'an, etc. Today (September 2), they were presented with certificates at a sharing session held at the Hong Kong Science Museum. Three students who were honoured with the Best Camper Performance awards for their outstanding efforts also shared their feelings and valuable experiences gained from the training camp. They expressed admiration for the country's aerospace experts, feeling proud of its remarkable aerospace endeavours and wishing to contribute to the aerospace industry in the future.

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Students of Young Astronaut Training Camp 2025 share their unforgettable learning experiences Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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Students of Young Astronaut Training Camp 2025 share their unforgettable learning experiences Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The training camp ran from July 25 to August 2. Students visited various key astronomy and aerospace facilities, including making their first visit to the Wuqing Station of the National Astronomical Observatories in Beijing, where they learned about data reception and deep space communication systems of the Tianwen-1 Mars exploration mission. The students also met with the commander of the Shenzhou-19, Mr Cai Xuzhe,who participated in the Shenzhou-14 and Shenzhou-19 space missions. Mr Cai has set multiple records during the extravehicular activities of the Shenzhou-19 mission: His first spacewalk lasted nine hours, breaking the world record for the longest single spacewalk, and he completed a total of five spacewalks across two missions, making him the astronaut with the most spacewalks to date in China.

The students also visited Beijing Aerospace City, the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China National Space Administration Space Debris Observation and Data Application Center, and National Time Service Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where they gained an in-depth understanding of China's manned space research, development, and application. At the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, they experienced the aerospace medicine project and astronaut training activities, such as the donning and doffing of spacesuits and blood redistribution training. During the rocket model workshop, they also learned about the basic structure of rockets and how to build rocket models.

Launched in 2009, the Young Astronaut Training Camp has been held on 14 occasions, attracting nearly 400 students to join. Recruitment for this year's training camp started in May and received an overwhelming response. After three rounds of selection - a quiz on astronomy and space science, a three-day pre-camp training and an interview - participants were selected as Young Astronauts out of more than 120 applicants from around 80 local secondary schools.

The training camp is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, in association with the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre. It is organised by the Hong Kong Space Museum and sponsored by the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce. It is one of the programmes under the Chinese Culture Promotion Series. For details of the training camp, please visit the website of the Hong Kong Space Museum at hk.space.museum/en/web/spm/activities/yatc.html.

Six illegal workers and an employer arrested in Hong Kong's anti-illegal worker operation Contribute.

Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation

The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted an anti-illegal worker operation codenamed "Contribute" today (January 15).During the operation, ImmD Task Force officers raided premises under renovation in a newly built public housing estate in Sheung Shui district.A total of six suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer were arrested. Thearrested suspected illegal workers comprise six men, aged 22 to 41. Furthermore, one man, aged 45, suspected of employing the illegal workers, was also arrested. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.

Apart from mounting the enforcement operation, ImmD officers and a promotional vehicle have been deployed to distribute "Don't Employ Illegal Workers" leaflets and convey the message in the estate.

An ImmD spokesman said, "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties."

The spokesman stressed that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.

According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.

Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.

For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.

Students Complete Young Astronaut Training Camp, Inspired by China's Aerospace Achievements

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