CCTV News
: On April 16, 2022, after the 183-day space trip, the astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu of the Shenzhou 13 flight crew returned to Earth smoothly.
After more than two months of recovery, they stepped into the public eye again.
In the six months since it left the earth, Shenzhou 13 has created one new space record after another: the first Chinese woman to go out of the cabin, a new record for the duration of Chinese continuous in-orbit flight, and the first rapid return of the Shenzhou spacecraft.
The safe return of the astronaut crew consisting of one "post-60s" and two "post-80s" marks the perfect conclusion of the mission of the key technology verification phase of my country's space station, and at the same time opened the curtain of the construction phase of China's space station.
Reporter: After sleeping in the sky for half a year, will you be able to fall asleep when you return to the earth?
Zhai Zhigang: When I first came back, I got to the ground and lay down on the bed. No matter how soft the bed was, I was panicking.
Living in this space station, the most reminiscent of life habits on the ground is drinking water, urinating, washing your face in the morning, and taking a shower after exercising. Those are the things we think are the most routine on the ground, and the most missed, missed, and unfulfilled in the sky. s things.
On October 15, 2021, the Shenzhou 13 astronaut crew led the expedition.
This is Zhai Zhigang's second expedition as the flight crew commander.
In 2008, he performed the Shenzhou 7 mission and completed the first Chinese spacewalk.
In that "space walk", Zhai Zhigang walked for 19 minutes and 35 seconds, and he walked for 13 long years to fight in space again.
Reporter: After carrying out the Shen Qi mission in 2008, did you ever think that it would be another ten years before the next opportunity?
Zhai Zhigang: Shen Qi did not say that he was relieved after flying.
365 days a year, except for Saturdays and Sundays, all my training is flying.
Reporter: If people don't choose you, won't you lose?
Zhai Zhigang: It doesn’t matter if we don’t choose. I have the flying conditions. If I don’t have the flying conditions one day, it will be broken, and I will not be an astronaut.
The little girl in the crowd made people focus more on the female astronaut Wang Yaping.
During the Shenzhou 10 mission in 2013, the "space teacher" gave a unique space class to more than 60 million students across the country.
After 8 years, she set off again, and she felt a little more worried in her heart.
Wang Yaping: The biggest difference for me is that the last time I had no children, this time I have a daughter.
I did look for it that day, wearing a little pink dress, and was calling for mom, mom.
After hearing this, I actually only looked at the child once and then took my eyes back.
I felt like I was in tears right away.
At that time, I really didn't dare to look at it, for fear of having more concerns.
Among the three, 41-year-old Ye Guangfu was the first to perform a flying mission.
Since he was selected as the second batch of astronauts in my country in 2010, he has waited 11 years for his space debut.
Ye Guangfu: I cherish more, cherish every day.
I also said to myself in my heart, Ye Guangfu, you can finally fly, you can, come on!
At 0:23 on October 16, 2021, Shenzhou 13 pierced the sky aboard the Long March 2F rocket and flew into space.
About 6.5 hours later, using the autonomous rapid rendezvous and docking mode, Shenzhou 13 successfully docked at the radial port of Tianhe core module, and together with the previously docked Tianzhou-2 and Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft, it formed a one-cabin three-vessel combination. .
The Chinese space station, which just sent off the Shenzhou 12 astronaut crew, welcomed a new visitor.
In order to ensure the long-term stay of astronauts in orbit, the core module of the space station is equipped with a regenerative life support system, which can convert wastes such as carbon dioxide, urine, water vapor and other wastes discharged by the astronauts into substances such as drinking water and oxygen to realize the circulation of water resources in the space station. Reuse.
Reporter: How did you feel when you first went to drink this reclaimed water?
Ye Guangfu: Maybe everyone feels that the source of reclaimed water is sweat or even urine. It's normal.
In fact, in the early days, we would also have this idea in our hearts, but there is no problem. It is through repeated filtration and layer-by-layer checks, and finally qualified water is tested.
And these waters meet drinking water standards, even far better than drinking water standards.
They often joke that there is a lot of reclaimed water we have left for you, and you should have a good taste.
The Shenzhou 13 astronauts' 6-month "space travel" implements a synchronous work and rest system between the sky and the earth. Every night around 10 o'clock, the lights are turned off to rest, and there is a two-hour lunch break at noon.
However, living in a weightless and closed environment for a long time will have a great impact on people's physiology and psychology.
Reporter: Do you think it will be more obvious as a woman than a man?
Wang Yaping: I think it's more obvious. As soon as I went up, I posted pictures of me and the girl, pictures of my family, and the greeting cards the girl wrote to me in my sleeping area.
I have time to take a look every day during the day, and take a look at it before going to bed at night, I really miss it.
The flight crew of Shenzhou 13 has two out-of-vehicle missions.
The first mission out of the cabin was carried out by Zhai Zhigang and Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu cooperated and supported in the cabin.
On November 7, 2021, Zhai Zhigang opened the exit door of the Tianhe core module node module.
This is his first close contact with space after 13 years.
Reporter: What’s the difference in feeling when you get out of the cabin this time?
Zhai Zhigang: I used to hold it with both hands, but now I hold it with one hand, and I can turn with one hand.
The first mission out of the cabin is that people can go out, crawl easily, take back the things outside the cabin, and when people come back, the Shen Qi mission is a complete success.
Getting out of the cabin now is completely different from our first outing.
This change reflects the progress of China's aerospace industry, and also reflects the dream-seeking path of Chinese astronauts.
Zhai Zhigang was born in a small village in Longjiang County, Heilongjiang Province in 1966. He has many brothers and sisters in his family. His father was sick in bed for many years, and his mother sold fried melon seeds. Zhai Zhi just finished his studies and became a fighter pilot.
In 1996, the 30-year-old Zhai Zhigang became one of the first 14 astronauts in my country in 1998 after numerous selections.
Zhai Zhigang was selected as a backup astronaut for Shenzhou-5 and Shenzhou-6 missions.
In 2008, he served as the commander of the Shenzhou 7 astronaut crew and became my country's "first person to walk in space".
After that, he was selected as a backup astronaut for Shenzhou 10 and Shenzhou 12 missions, and finally returned to space on Shenzhou 13.
On October 15, 2003, before Wentian Pavilion, Zhai Zhigang sent his comrades to space for the first time.
This live broadcast deeply affected Wang Yaping, a 23-year-old girl from Yantai, Shandong at the time.
Wang Yaping: I suddenly had a burning thought in my heart. China now has its own male pilots and its own female pilots. Now that it has its first male astronaut, when will there be female astronauts?
At that moment I had my own flying dream, but no chance.
When I signed up for the first time in 2009, my parents didn't approve of it at first.
At that time, my dad told me that if you fly on the earth, it’s not enough, and it’s too dangerous for you to fly outside the earth.
In 2010, Wang Yaping, who was in her thirties, was selected as the second batch of astronauts in my country, and her peer Ye Guangfu was also selected at the same time.
Ye Guangfu was born in a rural family in Chengdu, Sichuan. After graduating from the Changchun Flight Academy of the Air Force, Ye Guangfu frequently transferred jobs according to instructions. He traveled to many provinces successively, and refitted and piloted 5 types of fighter jets.
Before being selected as an astronaut, Ye Guangfu had flown more than 1,100 hours safely.
Although a pilot is the closest occupation to an astronaut, the difference between sky and space is a huge leap.
In addition to completing basic theoretical study, aerospace environment endurance and adaptive training and other 8 categories and hundreds of subjects that challenge physical and mental limits, astronauts also have to face psychological torment and challenges.
Wang Yaping: The training of pilots is actually very difficult. I can come to the test of pilots. Astronauts are nothing, but they are really different.
At that time, I really started to study and take classes every day from waking up in the morning. In the three years before I flew to the sky, I never stepped out of the gate of the Aerospace City, and I never went out to go shopping. I didn’t know anything about Beijing.
Soon, Wang Yaping ushered in his first space flight.
In 2013, she successfully entered space with the Shenzhou 10 spacecraft. In the Tiangong-1 target spacecraft, which is more than 300 kilometers away from the earth, Wang Yaping incarnates as a "space teacher" and conducts space exploration for more than 60 million teachers and students in more than 80,000 middle schools across the country. Lectures, while her teammate Ye Guangfu was still waiting.
Reporter: Seeing that your companion was able to go up, but when you were still on the ground and not flying, were you anxious or not?
Ye Guangfu: I'm anxious, because not only myself, but also my team and my family are silently contributing to this spaceflight. I must have always hoped to realize my dream of flying as soon as possible.
In addition to envy, I still bear some pressure, some anxiety, and even some suffering, and this process is indeed quite painful.
The three "feel good" quickly became popular all over the Internet. Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu were called "feel good crew" by netizens.
Different from 13 years ago, Zhai Zhigang's spacewalk was lifted by a robotic arm and transferred to the operating point.
Then Wang Yaping, who got out of the capsule, took the first step for Chinese women to walk in space.
After about 6.5 hours of out-of-vehicle activities, Zhai Zhigang and Wang Yaping successfully completed the installation of the manipulator suspension device and the adapter, the test of typical movements outside the cabin, and the verification of mutual aid outside the cabin.
More than a month later, Ye Guangfu opened the cabin door and took the lead out of the cabin. Together with his senior brother Zhai Zhigang, they carried out the second mission of Shenzhou 13.
In addition to the two out-of-vehicle missions, Shenzhou 13 also carried out two space teaching activities, and three "space teachers" gave two wonderful space science classes for young people in the "Tiangong Classroom".
Wang Yaping: It's not just a sense of gain, it's a kind of happiness.
Our colleague told me, he said, Mr. Wang, do you know that I was actually one of the students who sat in the ground class when you taught in space, and I was very shocked at that time.
Reporter: Actually, it is not difficult to understand, because in 2003, you also watched Yang Liwei’s live broadcast at that time, which changed your own dream.
Wang Yaping: I think this is also the transmission of a dream, and I also hope that I can be the one who sows the seeds.
6 months of space life, in addition to the high-profile moments, more of a step-by-step routine.
During the orbit, the three astronauts will complete a number of scientific experiments, covering space physics, life science, materials science, astronomical detection and other fields.
At the same time, they also received high-frequency and time-consuming psychological questionnaires, so that the content, mode and timing of psychological support for them could be adjusted on the ground in time.
On March 27, 2022, Tianzhou-2 received an evacuation order, and it will leave the site by re-entry and destruction.
Two weeks after Tianzhou-2 completed its mission, Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu returned to Earth to reunite with their families.
Wang Yaping: Actually, when I first saw my daughter at the airport, I felt both familiar and unfamiliar.
Picking the stars is the task that the baby gave me before the task, and it is also my commitment to her.
There are characters on it, you can see peace, happiness, dream fulfillment, victory, and happiness.
After returning, the crew of the Shenzhou 13 astronauts have completed various tasks in the stages of isolation and recovery, recuperation and recovery, and have been fully transferred to the recovery and observation stage.
After completing various tasks during the recovery period and conducting a recovery health assessment and summary, they will transfer to normal training work.
Ye Guangfu: Our main task now is to restore our physical and psychological state as much as possible.
Because the next step is to continue to work hard for the space battlefield.
Zhai Zhigang: I think it is worthwhile to be an astronaut in this life. I have no regrets. It made me pay so much, and it also gave me rich rewards. This kind of love is impossible to completely follow after I retire. Aerospace broke up, and never will be.