--- title: "We Are Completely Puzzled by This Video of a Chinese Astronaut Playing Ping-Pong in Space" description: "Footage shared by Chinese media shows a Chinese astronaut playing ping-pong by himself on board the country's brand new Tiangong space station." date: "2023-01-06" modified: "2023-01-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/video-chinese-astronaut-playing-ping-pong-space" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "china" - "ping pong" - "space station" --- # We Are Completely Puzzled by This Video of a Chinese Astronaut Playing Ping-Pong in Space ![Footage shared by Chinese media shows a Chinese astronaut playing ping-pong by himself on board the country's brand new Tiangong space station.]() *\Image: CNSA\* Ping-pong in space? Sounds awesome. But footage [shared by Chinese media]() of astronaut Deng Qingming whacking a ball around in the country's Tiangong is frankly very puzzling. The ball always returns to Deng's paddle, but he doesn't seem to be bouncing it off a flat surface, and it wobbles mysteriously as it moves through the air, leaving us with far more questions than answers. How is this extraterrestrial game actually work? And whatever's going on, does it really count as playing ping-pong in space? https://twitter.com/CNSpaceflight/status/1610821517612580864 Here's our theory: Upon closer examination, the ball appears to be attached to some sort of long static tether, kind of like a floppy antenna, which is itself attached to the floor of the station, circled in the screenshot below. The ball seems to hover in midair when Deng isn't actively hitting it with his paddle, which supports our theory. ![]() In short, this is a far cry from Earth-based table tennis — which is fair enough, considering confined space and lack of gravity. But that doesn't explain why Deng didn't pick up a game with the two other crew members, who traveled to the space station alongside him back in November. Our theory? Maybe they're just not too keen on the game. The mission marked the fourth crewed mission to have docked with Tiangong, a space station which was [constructed in record time]() over the last couple of years. Deng and his colleagues are roughly one month into their six month mission, meaning that they'll likely have a lot more time for ping pong — solo or otherwise. It's not the first time we've seen taikonauts play ping-pong in space. Back in 2016, Chinese state media [released footage]() of two astronauts playing ping-pong on board the the since-retired Tinagong-2 space lab, which is a predecessor of the current Tiangong space station. This game, however, involved the ping-pong ball floating back and forth through space from one player to another — a bit more like the earthly version of the sport. A different crew of astronauts also [showed off their ping-pong prowess]() using what appears to be the same contraption Deng used in a video shared by Chinese media in 2021. "We have a lot of activities to do in space, we can jog, listen to music, and even play ping-pong," a crew member [told reporters]() at the time. Staying active in space is extremely important, as researchers have found that staying in microgravity for prolonged periods is [linked to muscle atrophy](), among other [negative health effects](). Over the decades, astronauts have found myriad ways not only keep their bodies but also their minds active — and it seems like a bizarre ping-pong contraption is now one of them. **More on Tiangong:** *[China Attaches New Section Onto Its Brand New Space Station]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()