Shenzhou-18 Astronauts Conduct "Olympics" on China Space Station
The three crew members of Shenzhou-18, Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu, currently aboard the orbiting China Space Station (CSS), marked the occasion of the Paris Summer Olympics alongside China's 16th National Fitness Day on Thursday.
TroibNews 
The three crew members of Shenzhou-18, Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu, aboard the China Space Station (CSS), celebrated the Paris Summer Olympics and China’s 16th National Fitness Day on Thursday.
The festivities kicked off with a mock torch relay, as reported in a video shared by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Commanding officer Ye Guangfu, clad in an extravehicular suit, passed an improvised torch to Li Cong. Li Cong then floated over a hurdle to hand it off to Li Guangsu. In turn, Li Guangsu received the torch and executed a skillful upright long jump before returning it to Ye Guangfu, who concluded the relay with an elegant back jump.
Following the relay, the orbital games commenced. Li Guangsu displayed remarkable talent during a "table tennis match" in the men's singles category.
While enjoying a thrilling group stage match of China's women's volleyball team, Ye Guangfu and Li Cong engaged in a game of "volleyball" in zero gravity.
The playful video shows the trio, located in the 16-meter-long Tianhe core module, adorably imitating swimming strokes in a "men's medley" as they raced against each other in a mock pool. Ye ultimately triumphed in this friendly competition by a narrow margin. They then proceeded to imitate Olympic divers.
The last event of the space games was "weightlifting," where Commander Ye pretended to lift a bar with both Li Guangsu and Li Cong as weights, showcasing great effort despite the zero-gravity setting, complete with moments of wiping away imaginary sweat.
As the video came to a close, the trio expressed their good wishes to Team China, urging them to embrace challenges and strive for their dreams. They encouraged Chinese athletes to push boundaries, set new records, and achieve remarkable accomplishments.
The Shenzhou-18 crew is currently more than halfway through their six-month mission in space, which began with their launch in late April. Their time in orbit is a deliberate blend of scientific research, spacewalks, and personal wellness. To ensure physical fitness, the taikonauts consistently exercise and have participated in a variety of experiments focused on weightlessness protection.
Read more: China Space Station: How do Shenzhou-18 taikonauts stay healthy in space?
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
The festivities kicked off with a mock torch relay, as reported in a video shared by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Commanding officer Ye Guangfu, clad in an extravehicular suit, passed an improvised torch to Li Cong. Li Cong then floated over a hurdle to hand it off to Li Guangsu. In turn, Li Guangsu received the torch and executed a skillful upright long jump before returning it to Ye Guangfu, who concluded the relay with an elegant back jump.
Following the relay, the orbital games commenced. Li Guangsu displayed remarkable talent during a "table tennis match" in the men's singles category.
While enjoying a thrilling group stage match of China's women's volleyball team, Ye Guangfu and Li Cong engaged in a game of "volleyball" in zero gravity.
The playful video shows the trio, located in the 16-meter-long Tianhe core module, adorably imitating swimming strokes in a "men's medley" as they raced against each other in a mock pool. Ye ultimately triumphed in this friendly competition by a narrow margin. They then proceeded to imitate Olympic divers.
The last event of the space games was "weightlifting," where Commander Ye pretended to lift a bar with both Li Guangsu and Li Cong as weights, showcasing great effort despite the zero-gravity setting, complete with moments of wiping away imaginary sweat.
As the video came to a close, the trio expressed their good wishes to Team China, urging them to embrace challenges and strive for their dreams. They encouraged Chinese athletes to push boundaries, set new records, and achieve remarkable accomplishments.
The Shenzhou-18 crew is currently more than halfway through their six-month mission in space, which began with their launch in late April. Their time in orbit is a deliberate blend of scientific research, spacewalks, and personal wellness. To ensure physical fitness, the taikonauts consistently exercise and have participated in a variety of experiments focused on weightlessness protection.
Read more: China Space Station: How do Shenzhou-18 taikonauts stay healthy in space?
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
