十年前，美國宇航員Ron Garan曾到過國際太空站，這段經歷在我們之前的專訪和他的新書《在黑暗中漂流》中都有提及。

大家好，我是The China Current的主持人周柳建成。

Ron的故事和人類對太空的探索讓我們以意想不到的方式更好地瞭解自己。

有這樣一個例子：中國奧運游泳運動員正在利用太空技術進行訓練。這些技術能減少水中的阻力，並影響前進速度。

中國航天科技集團公司的研究人員，發明了一個小型的指導系統，建基於他們用在導彈、火箭和衛星中的技術，幫助游泳運動員在水中訓練。

他們在系統中裝備了鏡頭和運動傳感器，以追蹤游泳的進展和完善技術，從而使身體每個動作，從軀幹到手臂直至指尖都得到改善，以提高運動員的成績。

在20世紀60年代，我的父親創造了一種導航儀器，後來被應用於航空和航海系統。這個故事令我著迷，知道了如何應用技術改善人類社會。

游泳運動員受益於運用在洲際彈道導彈上的科學，模仿飛行的技術和所需的精度，重新創造用於運動的空氣動力學系統。

中國在太空方面的進步使中國運動隊具備了優勢，比如擁有30馬赫風洞的技術，能夠模擬創紀錄的飛行速度。

在東京奧運會之前，國家游泳隊和划船隊就在專門用於飛機和導彈開發的研究風洞設施中訓練。

東京奧運會中，游泳運動員在男子200米個人混合泳、女子200米蝶泳和女子4x200米自由泳接力比賽中擊敗了美國和澳洲等強隊贏得了三枚金牌。

同時，賽艇運動員在模擬外部天氣條件的風洞中訓練，最終獲得了三枚獎牌，包括女子四人雙槳的金牌。

這些成績或許難與中國跳水隊的表現相提並論，他們自洛杉磯奧運會重返奧運賽場，至今已贏得47面金牌。但現在不僅傳統強項，在游泳和划船也獲得了成功。

中國首次派出馬術隊，並在帆船、擊劍和場地單車賽，取得奧運冠軍，這些都是中國的日常運動中不為人所熟悉的項目。

看到這麼多不同的國家在非常多樣化的項目中獲得成功，是東京奧運會非常有趣的現象。希望在2022年2月北京舉辦的冬季奧運會，我們能看到同樣的全球化精神。北京是第一個同時舉辦過夏季和冬季奧運會的城市。

但最終的道理是：我們可以利用太空和人類的想像力，成為最優秀的人。

Ten years ago, Ron Garan, the NASA astronaut, travelled to the International Space Station, an experience he recalled for us on The China Current and now in a new book he’s written called ‘Floating in Darkness’. 

I’m James Chau, Host of The China Current.

Ron’s story and the exploration of space allows us to understand ourselves better and in unexpected ways.

Take this, for example. Chinese Olympic swimmers are using space technology to train better, reduce drag in the water, and impact the forward speed.

Researchers at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation have innovated a small-scale guidance system, based on one they would use for missiles, rockets and satellites, to helps swimmer propel under water.

They’ve added cameras and motion sensors, to track progress and refine technique, so that every part of the body from the torso to the arm and even the fingertip are optimized for high performance.

In the 1960s, my father created navigational instruments later adapted for aviation and maritime use, so this is a story that fascinates me, namely how we can apply technology to improve human society.

The swimmers benefited from the science behind intercontinental ballistic missiles, mimicking the flight and precision and re-creating the aerodynamic motion.

China’s progress in space has given its sports teams a home-grown advantage, as has the knowledge that led to the new Mach 30 wind tunnel in Beijing, capable of simulating flight at record speeds.

Before Tokyo, the national swimming and rowing teams used wind tunnels at research facilities dedicated to aircraft and missile development.

The swimmers won three gold medals in the men’s 200m individual medley, women’s 200m butterfly, and women’s 4x200m freestyle relay, where they beat powerhouse teams the USA and Australia.

The rowers meanwhile who trained in a wind tunnel adapted for outside weather conditions came away with three medals including gold in the women’s quadruple sculls.

That may be ‘nothing’ compared to the divers who have now won 47 gold medals since China’s return to the Olympics at the Summer Games in Los Angeles, but swimming and rowing go beyond traditionally successful sports.

For the first time, the country fielded an equestrian team, and they came away with new Olympic champions in sailing, fencing and track cycling, all of them disciplines that are unfamiliar to everyday sports in China.

Seeing so many different countries find success in so many different disciplines was what made these Games in Tokyo very interesting and hopefully we’ll see that same spirit of globalization when Beijing hosts the next Olympics in February 2022, the first city to host a summer and winter games.

But the real story is this. That we can use space and the human imagination to be the best all of us can be.