Macao youth space science program honors winners, sparks passion

MACAO -- A space science education program for Macao students held its award ceremony and graduation event on Saturday, recognizing outstanding participants and teams.

Nearly 300 guests, teachers, students, and representatives from various sectors attended the ceremony.

Jointly organized by the Association for Promotion of Science and Technology of Macau (MAPST), the Chinese Society of Astronautics, and others, the 2026 "Macau Space Dream Project" was launched in May.

Speaking at the ceremony, MAPST President Chui Sai-peng said the program serves as a platform to promote scientific literacy, foster innovation, and cultivate patriotism among Macao's youth through space science education.

According to the organizers, this year's edition featured a space-experiment design competition for secondary school students and an aerospace experience camp for upper primary students. Before the competition, aerospace experts had provided training for participants, covering space experiments and payload case studies.

Pang Chi-ian, a student from Escola Tong Sin Tong representing the gold-award-winning team, said the group encountered many difficulties during the project but persevered. She said the program gave her a deeper understanding of the aerospace sector and enabled her to gain valuable knowledge beyond the classroom.