China News Service, Guangzhou, May 23. Title: Retired astronaut Chen Quan reveals "How astronauts are trained"
China News Network reporter Wang Jian
"How are astronauts selected and trained? During training, do they eat, live, and sleep the same as we usually do?" Chen Quan, one of China's first astronauts, was a reporter and a group of "space fans" in Guangzhou on the 22nd. Revealed "how astronauts are selected and trained".
On the same day, Chen Quan was invited to attend the Pearl River Science Lecture Hall co-sponsored by Guangzhou Science and Technology Bureau, Guangdong Science Center and other units.
The reporter saw at the scene that the huge lecture hall was already full of audiences who came to listen to Chen Quan's speech.
"In addition to air force pilots, there are also many experts in other fields who have been trained to become astronauts and can enter space to engage in related scientific research." Chen Quan introduced to everyone that full-time astronauts are generally selected from air force pilots, because Air force pilots’ normal working conditions are closest to those of spacecraft, and the physical and psychological qualities of air force pilots themselves are relatively good, which is very suitable for the requirements of aerospace work.
Photo courtesy of Guangdong Science Center at the event
"Not every Air Force pilot can become an astronaut, but also through a series of selection work with a high elimination rate." Chen Quan explained that the selection process for Chinese astronauts is like going through five stages and cutting six generals. More than 1,000 candidates, after rounds of screening and elimination, can eventually become astronauts, only the most outstanding a dozen people.
Chen Quan introduced the selection of astronauts and then took the audience to "explore" the training after being selected as astronauts.
Chen Quan said that after they are lucky enough to become astronauts, they will also receive a series of rigorous training; astronaut training courses include theoretical knowledge, physical training, psychological training, space environment adaptation training, field survival training, and man-ship training. Co-training, man-ship-arrow training and other content.
Among them, in terms of cultural theory, astronauts will accept nearly 60 subjects such as advanced mathematics, basic mechanics, electrical engineering, electronics, automatic control, English, computer, geography, meteorology, aerodynamics, rockets, spacecraft design principles, and aerospace medicine. The study of cultural foundation and space theory courses.
At the same time, the physical training of astronauts is equally strict.
Chen Quan recalled that at the time, teachers from the University of Physical Education were invited. The physical training they received was carried out in accordance with the standards of athletes, including track and field, ball games, gymnastics, muscle strength, swimming, etc. The amount of training was very large, and Especially emphasize the endurance of astronauts.
In addition, the psychological training of astronauts includes psychological foundation, mental health education, and relaxation training.
Chen Quan said that in an airtight unmanned space capsule, people are prone to psychological problems such as anxiety, so they need to learn how to adjust their emotions through psychological training.
In order to better adapt to the space environment, these astronauts with excellent comprehensive qualities will also receive extremely challenging training subjects such as space environment adaptation training.
Among them are the use of large centrifuges to enhance the body's tolerance to overweight conditions, and the use of parabolic flight and neutralizing buoyancy simulation pools for weightlessness training.
During the interaction with the audience, Chen Quan also introduced a lot of little knowledge about the astronauts, such as the sponge block on the inner mouth of the astronaut’s mask, which was originally used for the astronauts to "tick"; the astronauts wore spacecraft before the expedition. They always hunch back when they wear suits, because the in-vehicle space suits they wear must conform to the shape of the relevant equipment (basin-shaped) in the cabin to improve the load-bearing capacity...
Chen Quan’s wonderful speech that day gave the audience a detailed understanding of the selection and training of astronauts, and also planted the seeds of "space dreams" in the hearts of some students.
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