Glass of Water on China’s Tiangong Space Station: Real Physics or a Faked Video?

Back in late 2021, a video from China’s Tiangong space station got a lot of attention online. Not because of a major experiment, but because of a glass of water. Yes, a simple glass of clear liquid placed neatly on a table.

People watching the live-streamed science lesson by the Shenzhou 13 crew began to wonder: Why isn’t the water floating? Why is the glass itself not drifting in the air? After all, in space, everything is supposed to float around, right?

That tiny glass sparked a wild theory. Some even said it was proof the whole thing was staged, and the Chinese space agency faked the video. But let’s break down what actually happened—and why it’s not fake at all.

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Where the doubts came from

Videos from NASA and the International Space Station often show astronauts playing with floating droplets of water. We’ve seen water blobs drifting and dancing in zero gravity. So, seeing a full glass of water just sitting still felt off to some viewers.

The internet, being what it is, ran with the idea. Some users claimed it was a huge mistake by the Chinese space agency. A few even said the footage was recorded on Earth in a fake set to fool people.

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What science actually says about it

The Associated Press looked into the claims. They spoke with space historian and postdoctoral researcher Jordan Bimm from the University of Chicago.

According to Bimm, what we’re seeing isn’t fake at all. He explained that water in microgravity doesn’t behave exactly like we expect from watching movies or sci-fi shows. It doesn’t fly out of a container unless something disturbs it.

Water sticks to itself. It also sticks to glass. That’s called surface tension. In space, with no gravity pulling it down, surface tension holds the water together in one place. That’s why it stays inside the glass. It’s not magic. It’s just physics doing its thing.

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He also pointed out that the water clumps together and stays put because there’s no outside force pulling it around. So, what looks odd at first actually matches the behavior of liquids in zero gravity.

Behind-the-scenes footage confirms it

After the video went viral and the rumors started flying, China’s space agency responded. They released a behind-the-scenes clip on Weibo. The footage showed astronaut Wang Yaping carefully pouring water into the glass using a straw. She then used adhesive strips to secure the glass to the work surface. That’s why it wasn’t floating around like everything else.

To take it even further, the astronauts did a follow-up experiment. They dropped a ping pong ball into the glass of water. On Earth, that ball would float. But in the weightless environment of the Tiangong station, the ball stayed suspended in the water—right where it was placed.

That reaction alone is a clear sign this was really filmed in space.

Experts say the video is real

Molly Silk, a doctoral researcher from the University of Manchester, also talked to the Associated Press. She said there’s no real reason for China to fake such a simple demonstration. Especially considering how far their space program has come.

She pointed out that other countries, including the US, have confirmed China’s space achievements. China’s presence in space is no longer just a claim. It’s backed by real data, missions, and cooperation with international space agencies.

China’s growing space power

China’s space program has made some serious progress. Their recent missions prove that. Take the Chang’e 6 mission for example—it brought back samples from the far side of the Moon. That’s no small feat.

And just this May in 2025, Moon samples from China’s earlier Chang’e 5 mission were handed over to scientists at the UK’s Open University. This kind of collaboration shows how far-reaching and trusted China’s space work has become.

So next time you see a glass of water floating—or not floating—in space, it might just be a cool example of real science in action. Not everything that looks strange is a cover-up. Sometimes, it’s just how physics works when gravity takes a back seat.