On the eve of the launch of the "Shen XIII" manned spacecraft, a reporter from this newspaper had a conversation with three astronauts
Shenzhou flies into the sky to survey the sky and write a new chapter for half a year (science and technology are independent and self-reliant)
Our reporter Yu Jianbin, Liu Shiyao and Wu Yuehui
According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, at 9:50 on October 17, the Shenzhou 13 astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu successfully opened the cargo compartment door and successfully entered the Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft.
In the follow-up, the astronaut crew will carry out cargo transshipment and other related work as planned, and begin a six-month "space business trip" on the space station.
On the eve of the three astronauts flying into space, our reporter had a face-to-face dialogue with them.
Go to space with pen, ink, paper, inkstone and film and television dramas to adjust your physical and mental state
Reporter: What are the characteristics of the Shenzhou 13 mission?
Zhai Zhigang: The Shenzhou 13 mission is an important flight during the key technology verification phase of the space station. It has been in orbit for 6 months.
After the mission is completed, the space station construction phase will begin.
We need to manage the combination of the Tianhe core cabin, the Shenzhou 13 spacecraft, the Tianzhou 2 cargo spacecraft, and the Tianzhou 3 cargo spacecraft at the same time, and will perform 2-3 exits.
We will also conduct a teleoperation for docking the remotely controlled spacecraft and the space station on the space station.
Reporter: What is the biggest challenge of the mission?
Zhai Zhigang: The biggest challenge is to fly in space for half a year, which places higher demands on people's body and mind.
First of all, staying in orbit for a long time will cause muscle atrophy of the lower limbs.
It was found in the Shenzhou 12 mission that effective exercise in a weightless environment can help muscle recovery.
After entering space, we may need to exercise lower limbs earlier.
Secondly, staying in the earth's orbit for a long time, in a monotonous, narrow and boring environment, it is inevitable to produce irritability and unpleasant mood.
We plan to arrange our spare time in the sky. Everyone has their own plan. For example, I prepared some historical film and television dramas as a pastime, and I also brought pen, ink, paper and inkstone to write calligraphy, so as to improve the joy of life and have a good physical condition. Get the job done better.
In addition, there were still out-of-cabin activities during this flight mission, and more than once.
The current outing activities are more inclined to the application of technology, which is more complicated, more arduous and more challenging than the outing activities 13 years ago.
Wang Yaping: The space station mission is a brand new mission, which poses greater challenges to the astronauts’ mastery of the spacecraft, adaptability to the space environment, and exit training.
To this end, we have carried out technical training in teleoperation, rendezvous and docking, robotic arms, and out of the cabin. We have also strengthened physical training.
Ye Guangfu: Facing such a long-term task for the first time, I was rather nervous at the beginning.
Through pre-training, our physical and mental state and technical ability have been greatly improved, laying a solid foundation for completing the task.
Residential space, technical equipment, etc. reflect the rapid development of manned space engineering
Reporter: How do you feel about being an astronaut entering the Chinese space station this time?
Zhai Zhigang: In 2008, I completed the first mission of a Chinese astronaut on the Shenzhou VII mission.
Today, 13 years later, I went out into space again. In addition to excitement and excitement, there was also pressure.
The complete success of every manned space mission is the beginning of the next mission.
Although I have undergone countless repetitions of training, I still remain humble and cautious, completing the training according to the standard, and then putting forward my own ideas.
I am an "old astronaut" and also a "new astronaut" in the Shenzhou 13 mission. I have to adapt to the new training with the mentality of a new astronaut who has not performed the mission, and at the same time use the experience accumulated in the past. Get involved in new tasks.
Wang Yaping: Being able to fly into space again is my biggest dream.
The first time is more fresh and curious, the second time is more anticipation and enjoyment.
I look forward to enjoying the magical and wonderful feeling under the weightless reaction, looking back at the beautiful earth in space; looking forward to welcoming the New Year with you at the Chinese Space Station; looking forward to the opportunity to perform missions outside the capsule and see the beautiful space outside the capsule; also looking forward to bringing it again Let the children fly their dreams and start new explorations.
The 8 years since I flew into space again is also the 8 years of technological progress in manned space engineering.
From the Shenzhou spacecraft to the space laboratory, to the space station where we are stationed, no matter the living space, flight time, or technical equipment, etc., are all different.
The space flight from the 15 days of Shenzhou 10 to the six months of Shenzhou 13 is not only an increase in time, but also a manifestation of the country's comprehensive aerospace power, and it is also the result of the continuous struggle of generations of astronauts.
After the last "Teaching in Space", I received letters from many children and went to some schools. I more intuitively felt the children's yearning for space and their enthusiasm for scientific exploration. It also made me feel deeply about "Teaching in Space". The meaning lies.
As a result, some children fell in love with aerospace, applied for aerospace majors, and even became my colleagues.
What moved me even more was that many children looked at the teaching videos at the time and asked me when I could fly into space, and then I would teach again.
The space of the China Space Station is larger. I will do some aerospace science popularization. The format may change, but there will be "space teaching".
Ye Guangfu: Since joining the astronaut team in 2010, I have been fighting for the dream of space flight for 11 years.
For the first space trip, I expect that every member of the crew will adapt well to the space environment, continue to maintain a good physical and mental state, and finally complete the mission successfully.
I also brought personal items such as family photos, small dolls, and small musical instruments to ease my mood.
The crew understands each other and cooperates tacitly, and will rely on the strength and wisdom of the team to spend the challenging 6 months
Reporter: What are the characteristics of astronaut training?
Ye Guangfu: Life-saving training is very distinctive.
If the spacecraft lands on the sea or remote land in an unexpected situation, and the rescue cannot arrive in time, how can we use the surrounding resources to survive and call for help?
We need to conduct on-the-spot training to master how to use the rescue resources and materials on board the spacecraft.
In the jungle rescue training, we took limited equipment such as survival kits on a certain mountain in the northeast, set up tents according to the nearby environment, and searched for food.
What impressed me was that in the desert survival training, after we set up the tent, the thermometer on the side of the sun had exploded.
We were grilled uncomfortably, but we had to ventilate and dissipate heat and find a place to survive as much as possible.
Targeted psychological training is also very characteristic.
Everyone faces different tasks. In terms of compatibility and psychological empathy between the crew, we need to cooperate with each other and complete the training subjects through the eyes of others and our own understanding.
Reporter: Are the training standards for female astronauts and male astronauts the same?
Wang Yaping: The space environment will not change because of the arrival of women, nor will the threshold be lowered because the astronauts are women.
Therefore, the training content requirements and standards for female astronauts are basically the same as those for male astronauts.
But men and women do have differences, such as strength.
In space station training, out-of-cabin training is the most important item, and it is also a high-intensity and high-load training.
To make cabin training underwater, we need to wear a 200kg underwater training suit and train for six or seven hours without eating or going to the bathroom. We must also overcome underwater resistance and pressure, control our body posture, and complete the underwater. Various actions and various equipment are used, and the load is very heavy.
For out-of-vehicle training, how can I narrow the gap with male astronauts?
Just practice.
To train upper body strength, I practice the same items as the male astronauts, such as pull-ups, push-ups, barbell pushes, etc.
Once a masseuse after training said: "Tell you a bad news, your arms are getting thicker." After I heard it, I was very happy.
When training, I even compare muscle mass with male astronauts.
Strength is one aspect. My body is not as strong as a male astronaut, and my arms are not as long as a male astronaut, so I don’t have an advantage in the ability to control the extravehicular spacesuit.
Wearing the same clothes, to overcome the pressure to bend, you need to do a lot of movement, or use twice the strength to do it.
After a long time of training, I have also learned some tricks. The movement of getting out of the cabin requires not only core strength, but also some methods to achieve operability.
Everyone is full of confidence in the female astronaut going out of the cabin, and I have confidence myself.
My underwater training has reached dozens of times and hundreds of hours of training.
After each practice, my body is very exhausted, but I am very happy. I feel that my skills have improved again, and I have taken a step further from my dreams.
Persevere because of love, persist because of love, and overcome difficulties because of love.
Reporter: Please evaluate each other's teammates.
Zhai Zhigang: After nearly two years of training, our team understands and cooperates with each other tacitly. We believe that relying on the strength and wisdom of the team can solve every problem.
Our crews have reached the standard for exiting the cabin during ground training. Wang Yaping operated meticulously and conscientiously. Ye Guangfu was good at computer operations and information technology. When he went to space, he had to give play to the specialties of three individuals and spend the extremely challenging 6 months.
Wang Yaping: Zhai Zhigang has the qualities of being calm, brave and courageous. He thinks deeply about the task, and his exit action is also our demonstration.
He is very humorous and can be infected by his happiness every time he trains. He is also a master of calligraphy and billiards.
Ye Guangfu and I are the same group of astronauts, and I often say that he is a hardworking bee.
He is very strict with himself, he is thoughtful and he is a reliable partner.
Ye Guangfu: During a flight training session, I was wearing a pressure suit and preparing to enter the seat of the spacecraft.
Zhai Zhigang grabbed me and said to wait a moment, and remember to adjust the seat restraint belt before entering.
Don't think this is a small thing, but it will be very difficult to adjust the restraint belt if you lie down.
They have a lot to learn from.
For example, Zhai Zhigang made decisions on the occasion, calmly and thoughtfully, and made reasonable arrangements.
For Wang Yaping, the positive, hardworking, earnest and meticulous energy, attentive and considerate attitude, made me feel very solid and warm with them, and full of confidence in the task.
Female astronauts' unique affinity, toughness, and carefulness play their unique advantages
Reporter: As a female astronaut, what are the advantages and characteristics?
Wang Yaping: During the construction of the space station, four flight crews will continue to fly, which is like an air relay. Each rod has requirements for each rod.
This rod of mine is not only the second rod of the flight crew, but also the first rod of a female astronaut.
Due to my previous flight experience, I have a deep understanding of the advantages and characteristics of female astronauts. Women's unique affinity, toughness, patience, and carefulness play a unique advantage in mission completion and crew coordination.
Reporter: Will you worry about your family members if you stay in space for half a year?
Wang Yaping: Astronauts usually have only flying and preparing to fly, and training is very busy.
Only with the understanding and support of my family can I perform the task without distraction.
For me, my daughter is most concerned about.
My daughter was not born when I was on the Shenzhou 10 mission, and she is now 5 and a half years old.
She knew that her mother was an astronaut, and she was proud and proud of her, and she often asked me to tell stories about space.
Once she said to me, "Mom, I know you are an astronaut and you are a space teacher." I was very happy to hear it.
I sometimes wonder what she has become after half a year, and will she not recognize me anymore?
This time, my daughter and I assigned tasks to each other. In half a year, we have to take care of ourselves and study hard.
She asked me to "pick" more stars back to share with my classmates.
Moreover, it is now possible to have two-way video with family members in space.
We are also equipped with mobile phones in the sky to make calls to family members, comrades-in-arms, and colleagues. This is actually a preparation for the 6-month stay in orbit.
Earlier on the ground, I also received calls from space crews from the "Shen XII" astronauts.
Regarding personal belongings, I brought the things I miss most on earth, such as photos and videos of my daughter, family, and comrades-in-arms.
My cosmetics and other personal items have been brought in in advance through the cargo spacecraft, and the team’s scientific and technical personnel have customized push-on cosmetics for easy access.
I also brought musical instruments with ethnic characteristics, which will be displayed in the sky.
In the free time of the space station, we can have a small concert.
I also brought New Year gifts to the two teammates, intending to surprise them.
I am still a representative of the National People's Congress, and I will strive to submit proposals from space.
Washing hair in space is a problem.
However, in this mission, a more convenient method has been redesigned for the characteristics of women's hair washing, making it cleaner.
In space, we are required to have the skills of a barber. I cut the hair of the "God 12" and "God 13" astronauts, and now they are becoming more and more skilled.
Looking forward to more Chinese discoveries and more interesting human explorations on the space station
Reporter: We will spend the Spring Festival at the space station this year. What are your plans and arrangements for New Year's Eve?
Zhai Zhigang: This is the first Chinese New Year in space.
We will prepare Spring Festival couplets, blessing characters, Chinese knots, and eat dumplings on the space station.
Wang Yaping: The scientific and technical personnel have prepared a Spring Festival gift package for us. I am as full of expectations as everyone.
On New Year’s Eve, we will watch the New Year together with everyone and send blessings from space to the motherland as soon as possible.
Reporter: As an astronaut, how does it feel to be able to participate in the construction of a space station?
Zhai Zhigang: The space station is our space home. Through the joint efforts of all engineering personnel, I believe that China’s space home will become better and better.
We are fortunate enough to participate in the construction of the space station. We are sincerely proud of our great motherland and living in such a great era.
Wang Yaping: The heroic soaring, the return surrounded by flowers, the expedition cheered by thousands of people, are insignificant in the career of an astronaut.
Although for more than ten years or even decades, most of them are repeating monotonous life and rigorous training.
But we are all having fun and stick to our dreams with passion.
Aerospace is a career I love. The word "give up" has never been used in my dictionary.
I look forward to more Chinese discoveries, more interesting human explorations, and writing more brilliant Chinese stories on the China Space Station.
Ye Guangfu: Every astronaut is either flying or preparing to fly.
After joining the astronaut team, I devoted myself to every training. It has been 11 years now.
I feel that doing what can be done well, the splendor of life is reflected in this process.
(Zhan Kang participated in the collection and writing)