It is said that a Chinese poet thousands of years ago "saw" the Earth from outer space...

The Mengtian Laboratory Cabin has recently become a "celebrity" in the aerospace circle.

On October 25, 2022, Beijing time, the Mengtian laboratory module and the Long March 5B Yao-4 carrier rocket combination were transferred to the launch area.

Subsequently, various pre-launch functional checks and joint tests will be carried out as planned, and the launch is scheduled to be carried out at an appropriate time in the near future.

The experimental cabin is mainly aimed at microgravity science research and is equipped with experimental cabinets in multiple disciplines such as fluid physics and materials science. It supports research on the essential laws of matter, such as the material solidification mechanism under the cover of gravity, as well as cutting-edge experimental research such as ultracold atomic physics.

The Mengtian Experimental Cabin is popular not only for its technology, but also for its name.

The name "Mengtian" not only embodies the romance of dreaming of a starry sky, but also expresses the determination to realize dreams, both in heaven and on earth.

However, the naming of our country's spacecraft has more meaning than this. It must contain grand ideals and the people's yearning for beauty, as well as rich traditional cultural connotations.

In fact, "Mengtian" is also the name of a poem by Li He, a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty. Although Li He's achievements in Tang poetry are not as "eternally famous" as Li Bai and Du Fu, he was also a genius in the dynasty at that time and was known as the "Poet Ghost".

Li He

It is no exaggeration to say that Li He was the first Chinese poet to write "Seeing the Earth from Space". And this line of poetry comes from his classic work "Dreaming of the Sky"!

Dream Day

(Tang Dynasty) Li He

The old rabbit and the cold toad are weeping in the sky, the cloud tower is half open and the wall is slanting white.

The jade wheel rolls on the dew, wetting the light; the phoenix pendants meet on the fragrant osmanthus path.

Under the three mountains of yellow dust and clear water, a thousand years have passed like a galloping horse.

Gazing at the nine points of smoke from Qizhou from afar, a pool of sea water pours into the cup.

Yellow dust and clear water under the three mountains, changing for thousands of years like a horse galloping (Picture drawn by AI)

"Under the three mountains of yellow dust and clear water, a thousand years of history is like a galloping horse. Looking at the nine points of smoke from Qizhou from afar, a pool of sea water pours into the cup." Li He said that a thousand years of history is just like a galloping horse. The whole world, our Kyushu land, is just like a speck of dust from space, and the sea water is like the water in the cup.

Looking at the Nine-Point Smoke in Qizhou from a Distance (Picture drawn by AI)

Isn't this the view of the Earth that we see from spacecraft? With the development of our technology, we will be able to fly farther and farther. Looking back at the Earth, isn't it exactly what Li He wrote in his poem? But he was an ancient man who lived thousands of years ago...

Li He did not "dream of the sky", but dreamed of himself "going to heaven". Li He's dream of going to heaven was realized by the Chinese people thousands of years later!

A pool of sea water pours into the cup (the picture is drawn by AI)

Finally, I wish the Mengtian laboratory module a successful launch and successful completion of its mission!

END

Comprehensive: CCTV News, Guangming Daily, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

Editor: Guru