Deputy Wang Yaping, who is on a space business trip 400 kilometers from the ground, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency: "Since I am carrying out the Shenzhou 13 mission on the Chinese space station, I cannot participate in this year's two sessions. ”
As a deputy to the National People's Congress, Wang Yaping cherishes this honor and trust. Before the space business trip, she often participated in the research and visits organized by the National People's Congress during the training interval, took the initiative to maintain close ties with grass-roots officers and soldiers, actively participated in social activities, recorded the first lesson of the opening of the school for young students, participated in aerospace science popularization activities, and also put forward suggestions such as "building a contingent of talents in military scientific research units."
"No matter when and where, I will do my best to speak for the space industry, give voice to scientists, and attract more people to join the dream journey of space power and space service." She said.
On October 16, 2021, the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft took off and docked with the Tianhe core module autonomously and rapidly, and astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu began a six-month space stay.
As of now, the three astronauts have been in orbit for more than 130 days, and Wang Yaping has become the Longest-on-orbit Chinese astronaut, and this record will be maintained until at least 2023.
On the evening of November 7, 2021, Wang Yaping, dressed in a new generation of mainland "Feitian" extravehicular spacesuit, successfully exited the capsule from the Tianhe core module node module, taking the first step in China's female extravehicular spacewalk, becoming the first female astronaut in China to carry out out the capsule activities.
Before her, only 15 women worldwide had performed out-of-cabin activities since 1984.
Wang Yaping, born in 1980, is the second batch of astronauts on the mainland and the first female astronauts on the mainland. In 2013, she was selected into the Shenzhou X astronaut crew and realized her first space trip.
On June 20 of that year, Wang Yaping incarnated as a "space teacher" and successfully gave a 40-minute space lecture to more than 60 million teachers and students across the country in Tiangong-1, which stimulated the curiosity of many teenagers to explore space.
Eight years in an instant. On the afternoon of December 9, 2021, Wang Yaping once again brought a wonderful space science lesson to the majority of teenagers in the space station built by the Chinese as a "space teacher".
"Being able to lecture the children again has always been my dream." As the first female astronaut to fly again, Wang Yaping said, "I am also deeply proud to be able to catch up with such a great era and be in such a great motherland." ”
What makes Wang Yaping even more pleased is that the dream seeds planted in those years are now blossoming and bearing fruit.
"Some of the children who sat in the classroom 8 years ago and listened to the space lesson have become part of the aerospace family and are fighting with us at their posts at this moment." Wang Yaping said.
Wang Nan, born in 1996, is one of them. However, when the class bell of the "Tiangong Classroom" rang again, Wang Yaping's little compatriot had grown from a representative of the physics class of the 18th class of the second class of high school in Gaomi City, Shandong Province, to a young designer of the Second Academy of Aerospace Science and Industry in China.
"It was Mr. Yaping's space lectures that made me realize that the physics knowledge in the original textbooks can really be related to spaceflight. As long as I keep learning, I will have the opportunity to get close to the sea of stars. Wang Nan, who got his wish, said.
The flying dream never loses weight, and the tension of the scientific dream is unlimited. As an astronaut who has more exchanges with young people, Wang Yaping always believes that they are the future of the motherland and the future of China's aerospace.
"'Tiangong Classroom' opens the door for children to understand space, stimulates the curiosity of students to explore space, and urges them to observe these phenomena, and then to think, to explore, and to 'plant' the seeds of science into their hearts." Wang Yaping said.
According to the plan, this year the mainland will build a space station in an all-round way, with long-term continuous manned stationing capability, and the astronaut crew will also achieve on-orbit rotation. This also means that space teaching activities in the "China Palace" will become the norm.
Wang Yaping revealed to reporters that at present, the Shenzhou 13 astronauts are carefully preparing for the third space teaching activity. She looks forward to: "In the near future, more and more people will come to the space station to give lectures in the space home that Chinese builds itself." ”
Source: Xinhua News Agency | Author Li Guoli
Editor: Zeng Jiajia
Process Editor: Dan Guo