Space-loving schoolkids set for out of this world trip
Thirty Hong Kong secondary students are set for a taste of life as an astronaut, as they make their final preparations before heading to a training camp on the mainland.  As part of the eight-day programme, they'll visit a Mars simulation base in northwestern Qinghai province to get an idea of what it could be like to live on the Red Planet. At a send-off ceremony on Tuesday, Hong Kong Space Museum curator Timothy Ho said it will be a great opportunity for the students selected to take part to learn about the nation's achievements in space.  "First of all, we knew that China has a great step in space exploration in the recent year, such as the Mars and moon exploration. So different to the previous camp, we not only bring the students to the Beijing space centre or Jiuquan satellite centre, we want to bring them to explore new facilities in China," he said.  One of the students, Ngai Yiu-tung, said he is particularly thrilled to be visiting the Mars simulation base. "I hope I can go to Mars one day. But before that, this will be a great experience for me to learn about the environment of Mars," he said.  Another student, Chan Lok-tung, said she is interested in stargazing and is excited to see constellations from rural areas of the country.  "Hong Kong has serious light pollution, so this is a great opportunity for me to gain more experience in astronomy," she said.