Fact Check: The Glass of Water on the Chinese Space Station Isn’t Proof of a Conspiracy

Astronauts aboard the Chinese space station Tiangong filmed a science lesson for students during a 2021 mission. The Shenzhou-13 crew performed various tasks during the lesson, creating a once-in-a-lifetime educational film for Chinese students and educators.

However, the footage went viral on TikTok after some viewers said they had spotted a massive clue in the film.

What is behind the Chinese space station glass of water conspiracy theory? And how are experts dealing with the claims from people who believe that the entire space station mission was actually faked?

Keep reading to learn more and to see what you make of the conspiracy claims.

One of the many tricks the astronauts pull off in the 2021 footage includes one with a glass of water.

The glass, which is sitting on a table to the side of the Shenzhou-13 crew during most of the experiments, doesn't move or float while they are filming. People initially believed that this was a sign that the space trip was faked, since they couldn't understand how the water got into the glass in the first place, and why it didn't float away due to the lack of gravity.

The conspiracy theory was shared extensively online in 2025, with many people calling Chinese space officials out over what they believed was a massive cover-up.

One so-called "space nerd" shared their take on TikTok, writing why they were so confused by the post in a video shared by The Sun, essentially summarizing what everyone else was thinking about the video.

"Sure, the glass could be held down by some adhesive, but there isn’t enough surface tension to remain stable and flat in a glass," they wrote. "That’s like turning a glass upside down and expect surface tension to stop gravity winning. The space stations are in free fall, so the water should be moving upwards."

Fortunately for space enthusiasts, there's actually a perfectly reasonable explanation for what's going on in the video.

The Destination Space blog has answers for those curious as to why the water was able to stay in the glass. According to the space group, astronauts use specially designed glasses when they're in space.

These cups are meant to maximize the surface tension of any liquid poured into them to help it stay put.

While these glasses do exist and are used on the International Space Station (ISS), Destination Space notes that there are six of these glasses on the ISS; most astronauts use sealed bags with straws to drink their water and other beverages instead.

Of course, that doesn't make for as exciting a science lesson as the open cup does, which is likely why Chinese astronauts opted for the open-air vessel.

In conclusion, the conspiracy theorists appear to be wrong about the faked 2021 space mission, even if they do make a compelling argument as to why they were so easily fooled by the motionless water.