Authoritative interview 丨 Zhang Yang Dialogue Huang Weifen: Stars have dreams and live up to their mission

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Recently, the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft was successfully launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, and Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu, three astronauts, will set a new record for Chinese to stay in space.

The day before the launch, Zhang Yang, a reporter from Xinhua News Agency, interviewed Huang Weifen, chief designer of the astronaut system. What's so special about this "God Thirteen" mission? How is the life and health of astronauts in space guaranteed for six months? What is the ideal and mission of being the chief designer of the astronaut system? Let us follow the reporter Zhang Yang and walk into the moving story of "behind the scenes hero" Huang Weifen.

The ten-second countdown before the ignition was my most stressful moment

Reporter: What are you thinking about the ten-second countdown before the rocket launch?

Huang Weifen: Because all the work we had to do before the ignition was completed, it was a blessing at that time.

Reporter: Are you nervous?

Huang Weifen: It will be nervous, and before each launch is my most nervous moment. Especially when the first manned flight was made 18 years ago. As we completed several missions, this tension slowly decreased. If my nervousness level was level ten when Yang Liwei first flew in 2003, it is now level five. While the task is harder, the tension is halved because we are more confident in every way.

Astronauts have a "personalized" and "humanized" life guarantee in space

Reporter: The three astronauts on this mission will set a new record for Chinese to stay in space, what will be the guarantee of their six months of life?

Huang Weifen: For example, Wang Yaping is a female astronaut, and we will pay special attention to her life and health in space, providing skin care products, personal hygiene cleaning products and other as much protection as possible.

In addition, we have more than 100 kinds of space food for this mission, and the recipe can be done without repeating the sample within a week. The three astronauts will spend the Spring Festival on the space station this time, and we will let them eat the dumplings of their hometown in space.

The configuration of the "God Thirteen" combination is more complex, and the number of scientific experiments and experiments on the space station has increased significantly

Reporter: Compared with the previous manned spaceflight missions, what is special about this "Shen XiII" mission?

Huang Weifen: The flight time of "God Thirteen" is double that of "God Twelve". The six-month flight time poses greater challenges to astronauts' physical and mental fitness, knowledge and skills, and emergency decision-making and disposal capabilities. At the same time, astronauts also have to do dozens of scientific experiments and experiments on the space station, which is significantly increased compared with previous missions. In addition, the configuration of the spacecraft combination faced by the "God Thirteen" group is also more complicated. We have changed from one cabin and two ships of "God XII" to one cabin and three ships of "God XIII" - this also means that astronauts have greatly increased the amount of tasks in the maintenance, monitoring, and repair of the operation of the assembly.

A variety of measures help astronauts meet the challenges

Reporter: What measures and means have we taken to help astronauts cope with the challenges of this mission?

Huang Weifen: First of all, we considered the characteristics of the astronauts when selecting the crew, and the three candidates selected were suitable for this mission. At the same time, we conduct intensive training. For example, in the training of mental adjustment ability, we have added programs such as mindfulness training. In addition, we have developed a psychological relief system based on virtual reality technology. In this system, there are common simulation environments, such as the great rivers and mountains of the motherland; there are also personalized customizations, that is, to build scenes for astronauts and close acquaintances such as family members and comrades-in-arms. This immersive experience has a great supporting effect on the psychology of astronauts.

In addition, astronauts can enjoy entertainment such as watching TV, watching movies and listening to music on the space station, as well as video calls with their families.

The "God Thirteen" mission is the final battle of the space station's key technology verification phase

Reporter: Can you introduce the plan and time node of China's future manned flight missions?

Huang Weifen: The "God Thirteen" mission is the final battle of the space station's key technology verification phase. After the assessment, the space station will be moved to the construction phase. During the construction phase, there will be two manned flights, namely the flight of the "God FOURTEEN" and "God XV" multiplier.

After the completion of the construction phase, the Chinese space station will be transferred to the operational phase, flying a crew every six months or so. So we also have to consider the follow-up flight now, including the selection of passenger groups and the preparation of related training.

The third group of astronauts is in training and is in good shape

Reporter: Can you tell us about the latest selection and training of astronauts?

Huang Weifen: Our third batch of astronauts is undergoing training. Among the third batch of astronauts, in addition to the air force pilots, that is, the space pilots we chose, there are also scientific researchers such as aerospace engineers and payload experts. At present, they are all undergoing comprehensive systematic training and are in good shape.

Once my daughter sent me a note that brought me to tears

Reporter: Have you ever wondered who is the person who most wants to hug and share this joy after the successful launch of the "God Thirteen" mission?

Huang Weifen: It's my family.

Reporter: Have your lovers and children ever done anything that moved you in your nearly 30-year career?

Huang Weifen: Yes, there are actually many such things. What impressed me the most was that one morning, when I was getting ready to go to work, my daughter, who was still very young at the time, gave me a self-folded note that read, "Mommy receives." The daughter said, "You'll see you in the office later." Later, I opened it and looked at it, and the note was "Goodbye Mommy" written by my daughter on one side and "Don't" on the other side. I burst into tears. She's still so young. So, I really especially appreciate my family.

It is my mission to escort astronauts in space

Reporter: At any point in your long career have you ever thought of giving up?

Huang Weifen: No matter how big the setbacks I encountered, I never thought of giving up, and I must unremittingly struggle for the aerospace cause of the motherland.

When the "God Seven" came out of the cabin, we were particularly nervous. Astronauts have a short time outside the cabin, and we see limited scenes. When the "God TWELVE" astronauts came out of the capsule this time, we could see the beautiful scene outside the cabin through the video, and the photos of the two astronauts in the same frame gave me a great shock. At that time, I thought, I should also go and fly.

However, everyone's mission is different. My mission is to train more and better astronauts for the country, so that they can fly with our dreams and hard work. To escort astronauts in space, I think that's my mission.

Astronauts are "extraordinary with the ordinary, famous with no name"

Reporter: You once said that astronauts are "extraordinary with the ordinary, and famous by being anonymous." How to understand this sentence?

Huang Weifen: We often say that manned spaceflight is a great cause that countless astronauts can accomplish with the joint efforts of countless astronauts. What we do every day may seem ordinary, but we need to do it day after day, year after year – only if we do it seriously and solidly can we achieve final success.

Astronauts are a significant symbol of manned spaceflight engineering and heroes in the hearts of many people. However, behind the realization of every "flying dream", there are countless aerospace workers' painstaking efforts. These unsung heroes are doing a lot of work in obscurity, and without their dedication and dedication, it would be impossible to have the success and brilliant achievements of the manned space industry. Therefore, for manned spaceflight, it is "to create the extraordinary with the ordinary, and to be famous with no name."

Producer: Chen Erhou

Producers: Sun Zhiping, Li Xueyong

Producers: Fan Hua, Zhang Pingfeng

Coordinator: Han Yan, Li Guoli, Dong Qianqi

Planning: Zhang Yang

Reporters: Zhang Yang, Yang Zhigang, Ju Zhenhua, Ma Yuanchi, Zhao Shitong, Guo Zhongzheng, Li Zhenyu, Song Yuze, Mai Linghan

Editors: Li Zhenyu, Zhao Shitong, Ma Yuanchi, Mai Linghan, Song Yuze, Xu Zhongzhe, Han He

Vision: Ma Yuanchi, Shang Wenyi

Acknowledgements: China Astronaut Center

Produced by Xinhua News Agency Zhang yang studio

Xinhua News Agency Audio and Video Department

People's Liberation Army Branch of Xinhua News Agency

Co-produced