On the afternoon of September 25, the Celebrating Meeting & Popular Science Lecture of the World Space Week 2013 was held in Beijing. The theme of the World Space Week 2013 is “Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth”. Mr. Hu Yafeng, Vice Administrator of China National Space Administration (CNSA), and Mr. Max Grimard, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the World Space Week Association (WSWA), attended the meeting and made speeches. The guests participating in the meeting gave the awards for the representatives of student winners of the National Space Picture Creation Contest for Celebrating World Space Week, and made two popular science reports on Mars exploration. Mr. Li Guoping, Vice Director General of the Department of System Engineering under CNSA, and member of the Board of Directors of WSWA, presided over the meeting.

Hu Yafeng said in his speech that deep space exploration is an important development direction of the world space activities, and the leading space-faring nations have initiated or participated in deep space exploration, especially the Mars exploration programs. Deep space exploration focusing on Mars exploration can not only bring the breakthroughs in science, but also promote the progress of the space technology, drive the development of many disciplines, and make us better understand the Earth where we live in. China has also initiated the demonstration on its Mars exploration program, and is willing to, based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit, peaceful utilization and common development, strengthen international cooperation and exchanges, jointly explore the unknown areas, and promote the progress of human civilization.

Mr. Buzz Aldrin, the US astronaut carrying out the first lunar landing mission, participated in the meeting and made a speech. He shared his lunar landing experience together with the meeting participants, described the concept of Mars exploration, and introduced the plans of space activities for teenagers that he participated in or initiated.

The World Space Week is a festival of the public including all people engaged in space activities. The United Nations General Assembly declared October 4-10 annually as World Space Week in 1999 for the purpose of publicizing the space activities and making the people all over the world understand, support, pay close attention to and participate in the space activities. Since 2000, CNSA has been organizing diversified celebrating activities during each World Space Week to greatly popularize the knowledge on space science and technology, and positively propagate the role of space science and technology in the national economy and human life.

Mr. Tian Yulong, Secretary General of CNSA, Mr. Yang Liwei, China’s first astronaut traveling in space, Mr. Kiyoshi Higuchi, President of International Astronautical Federation (IAF), and the related personnel from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) and Chinese Society of Astronautics (CSA) as well as the teachers and teenagers from the universities and middle schools in Beijing, attended the meeting.