Aspiring astronauts

More than 40 "left-behind children" from Sichuan and Guizhou provinces gathered at the Beijing Space Flight Center on July 19, to start their four-day adventure at the 2012 Chinese Astronaut Experience Camp.

The kids visited space flight museums, underwent astronaut training, and listened to talks by famous astronauts.

There are nearly 58 million left-behind children in China, which refers to kids of migrant workers who remain in the countryside and are raised by elderly relatives.

"An astronaut must be able to bear hardships, communicate with others and fight for success. I hope these kids enjoy the camp and learn the spirit of being an astronaut," says astronaut Nie Haisheng, who was sent into space aboard the Shenzhou VI, in 2005.