According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, the General Mission Headquarters of the Space Station Application and Development Stage has decided that the astronaut crew for the Shenzhou-18 manned mission is composed of three astronauts, Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu, with Ye Guangfu as the commander. The crew includes 1 second batch of astronauts and 2 third batch of astronauts, all of whom are "post-80s". Shenzhou-18 is aimed at launching at 20:59 Beijing time on April 25.
Astronaut Ye Guangfu went to space again,
Kindred:
When he was a child, he often looked up at airplanes,
He was a role model for the children back home
On April 24, Ye Guangfu's relatives told a Jimu News reporter that they were very happy to hear the news and wished him a successful completion of the mission.
The mission's commander, Ye Guangfu, was born in Chengdu, Sichuan, and was selected as the second batch of astronauts on the mainland in May 2010. Now, for the second time in space, he is expected to set a new record for the time spent working and living in space.
On the 24th, Ye Guangfu's aunt recalled to the Jimu News reporter that when he was a child, Ye Guangfu liked to watch airplanes, and there was an airport near his home. Looking up at the blue sky and watching the roar of the plane roaring by, Ye Guangfu longed for it, and at that time he planted the seed of chasing the blue sky in his heart, and became an astronaut when he grew up.
Aunt Ye Guangfu told the Jimu News reporter that Ye Guangfu is a role model for the younger children in his hometown, and he is very happy to see the news of the expedition to space, and is looking forward to his dream of space again, and wishes him a successful completion of this mission. "We would all watch the launch live in front of the TV in the evenings and cheer him on. ”
According to a report by China's military network, the three members of the Shenzhou 18 flight crew are all post-80s, all from the Air Force, and their similar ages and experiences give them a lot of common language. The personalities of the three can also complement each other's strengths. Ye Guangfu has a gentle temper and a calm personality, and is strict but not strict with the two newcomers; Li Cong has quick thinking, strong understanding, and quick response; and Li Guangsu is rigorous, loves to study, and pays attention to details. For the compatibility within the crew, Ye Guangfu used the word "silky" to evaluate and summarize. He was very confident that he would lead them to complete their mission successfully and return safely.
"Please rest assured that our crew will never forget our original intention, keep our mission firmly in mind, and hand over an excellent answer sheet to the party and the people with a full mental state and a high-spirited attitude of struggle!" Ye Guangfu said confidently to the people of the whole country on behalf of the crew at the press conference.
Li Cong, the youngest astronaut of Shen 18
ushered in the "space debut",
Mother: Rest assured, you can work at home
Li Cong from Handan, Hebei Province, was born in 1989 and is the youngest astronaut in the crew, which is also his "space debut" after going from pilot to astronaut.
On April 24, a Jimu News reporter came to Nanwang Village, Fengfeng Mining District, Li Cong's hometown, and learned that Li Cong was about to fly into the sky, and the villagers felt proud and proud, calling him "the honor of my village". The teachers and family members of Li Cong's alma mater also sent blessings to him and looked forward to his triumph.
The first pilot in the village
"Li Cong, it's time to go to heaven!" On the afternoon of April 24, in Nanwang Village, Fengfeng Mining District, Handan City, Hebei Province, villagers were gathering together to watch short videos on mobile phones and discuss the "happy events" in the village. A few hours ago, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Wentian Pavilion announced the list of astronauts who carried out the Shenzhou-18 manned mission, including Li Cong, who walked out of Nanwang Village.
Villagers in Nanwang Village are watching Li Cong's news (Source: Photographed by the reporter)
Walking dozens of meters from the entrance of the village, and then turning a few corners, a gray-white bungalow with a courtyard is Li Cong's home. Many people had already gathered in the courtyard, including villagers and village cadres who came to congratulate them, as well as reporters who came to cover the news. For this reason, Li Cong's father Li Junsheng deliberately changed into a white shirt, and his mother Chen Xingfeng put on a light-colored blazer with a pair of very formal black leather shoes.
Li Junsheng introduced that when he was a child, the conditions were difficult, he did not read any books, and he did not even have an English teacher, and he still remembers that when he encountered an English test, he could only look at the test paper and get the answers. So when his son Li Cong and daughter Li Nana were very young, he made up his mind that he must let the children receive a good education and "let the children have all the classes".
In order to make it easier for his children to study, he took his family from the village to the city and rented a room. He drove a car to earn money, and his lover Chen Xingfeng worked as a temporary worker in a school-run factory.
Li Junsheng boasted that he was very strict with his son, except for food and clothing, he was not used to other things, and Li Cong also became obedient and sensible early. His parents were busy with work, so he often helped the family and took on the responsibility of taking care of his younger sister.
"Very sensible, give him money to buy salt, and with a few cents left, he will never spend it on snacks privately. Chen Xingfeng recalled.
Later, Li Cong was admitted to the best middle school in the district, and in his third year of high school, he proposed to join the Air Force recruitment. Li Junsheng recalled that although his son liked to play basketball and swim since he was a child, and his physical fitness was good, they were very unfamiliar with pilots at that time, and they had never heard of any pilots.
Li Cong's parents (Source: Photographed by reporters)
Unexpectedly, Li Cong successfully passed the layers of screening and was finally admitted to the Air Force Aviation University, "the first pilot in our village." Li Junsheng said.
Neighbor Aunt Yin also remembered that in order to celebrate Li Cong's admission, Li Junsheng invited villagers, relatives and friends to a banquet at home, and everyone got together for a meal, and the villagers were happy for a while.
"From Sky to Space"
In September 2020, Li Cong was selected as the third batch of astronauts in the mainland. After a comprehensive evaluation, he was selected as the crew of the Shenzhou 18 manned mission.
"From the sky to space, although there is only one word, each of us astronauts needs to go through the continuous grinding day after day, year after year, and we need to always fly and prepare to fly. On the morning of April 24, at the media conference of Wentiange at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Li Cong appeared for the first time as an astronaut of Shenzhou 18.
After Chen Xingfeng learned the news, he stayed in front of the TV early in the morning. For nearly two hours of live broadcast, she kept staring at it, for fear of missing any of her son's pictures.
In the interview video broadcast, Li Cong recalled his experience from pilot to astronaut. During the centrifuge test, my chest was pressed to the point of breathlessness, and I wore a heavy extravehicular suit for a long time in the sink for simulation training...... When she saw these training details, Chen Xingfeng couldn't help but shed tears, she felt the hard work and hardship of the child so intuitively for the first time.
Chen Xingfeng said that because of work, his son rarely comes home. The last time the family reunited was during the Spring Festival in 2020, and after my son stayed at home for four or five days, he hurried back to his workplace. On weekdays, my son occasionally calls home, but they are all daily greetings "how is home" and "how is your body", but there is no mention of the hard work of training.
Chen Xingfeng also noticed that the son in the TV picture was a little fatter, and his face was rounder than when they met before. "That's a good thing. She said.
Li Junsheng also sighed that his son usually reports good news but not bad news, and never mentions those training experiences. But after seeing Li Cong selected for the flight mission crew, he was more surprised and excited, "I really learned from Yang Liwei to fly around the sky, this kid, it's okay." ”
Sister Li Nana's mood is a little complicated. After her brother was selected as the third batch of astronauts, Li Nana was both happy and distressed for him. In her opinion, astronauts will face heavier tasks, and her brother's training will definitely be more rigorous. Especially when she sees other astronauts training, she always thinks of her brother. But every time, my brother always replied, "Don't worry."
The villagers were proud when they mentioned Li Cong. Uncle Li, a villager, called Li Cong "the honor of my village" and said, "I am happy that there are talents in the village!" He said that the villagers felt that it was very great to become a pilot, but they did not expect Li Cong to become an astronaut now.
"They all say that astronauts are good, but can it be easy to go to heaven? Uncle Li sighed.
"High school is a child who wants to explore"
The good news soon spread to Li Cong's alma mater, Hebei Fengfeng No. 1 Middle School. More than 10 years ago, Li Cong was exposed to the Air Force when he was in high school here. After becoming a pilot, he became an astronaut.
"I was in class when the crew announced the list, and after opening WeChat after class, the group chat was about to 'blow up', and my colleagues were very excited, all asking if they were students from No. 1 Middle School. Li Lihui, a teacher at Fengfeng No. 1 Middle School, said that he glanced at the photo and immediately determined that it was Li Cong who he had taught.
Li Lihui was Li Cong's math teacher in his third year of high school, and in his impression, Li Cong had good grades in mathematics and physics, and he was a shy boy. He looks thin, but he is unexpectedly good at sports, and he once won a place in a long-distance running competition in a school sports meeting, "He has always given me the impression of being quiet and calm, and I never thought he was so athletic." ”
"This kid has a strong desire to explore. Li Lihui recalled that in the past, there was a small popular science article in the school magazine, which talked about all-electric propulsion, and now it is the application of electric vehicles, but this was still a relatively advanced thing at that time. Generally speaking, after reading this article, students may have to pay attention to the next one, but after Li Cong read it, he specifically asked a physics teacher for advice. More than a decade later, he still remembers it very clearly.
Li Lihui also kept a group photo of Li Cong's graduates, in the photo, the young Li Cong has short hair, wears a light green T-shirt, and his eyes are smiling.
Li Cong's high school graduation photo: Li Cong is the second from the right in the third row (Source: taken by the reporter)
Yu Ying, a teacher at Fengfeng No. 1 Middle School, used to be Li Cong's grade director, and she has the impression that Li Cong takes things very seriously.
"The school has a tradition of teaching students to practice Tai Chi, and there may be students who practice it with a wave of their hands just like they do with radio gymnastics, but Li Cong practiced very seriously and was later selected to participate in the school's Tai Chi performance team. Yu Ying said that as a teacher at her alma mater, she was very excited and proud after learning that he had become an astronaut of Shen 18, "I wish Li Cong a smooth expedition!"
"Rest assured at home"
"I'm looking forward to the wonderful feeling of weightlessness in space. For his first journey to space, Li Cong is full of expectations and confidence. He said in an interview that this time he could feel how the space home was built, and what he was most looking forward to was how to complete the six-month flight safely, smoothly, without errors and without mistakes. He said the expectation is both a challenge and a goal.
In the past, Li Cong always said to his family "don't worry" after training, but this time, it was his family's turn to tell him. Mother Chen Xingfeng told the camera: "Rest assured, family, despite your work, you will successfully complete the task, and look forward to your triumph." Father Li Junsheng also said to his son: "Complete the task well, win glory for the hometown and the country!"
At about 3 o'clock in the afternoon of the 25th, Nanwang Village gradually boiled, and the small courtyard of Li Cong's house became more and more lively.
The courtyard was crowded with people, including someone bringing a wire and setting up a lamp on a high terrace, and someone bringing a TV stand more than a meter high from outside the courtyard. Local government staff told reporters that on the evening of the 25th, Li Cong's family, relatives and friends will witness the flying moment together in this small courtyard.
"Shen 18" astronaut Li Guangsu:
The only liberal arts student in the third batch of astronauts,
I miss the pot chicken that my mother made
Astronaut Li Guangsu is from Pei County, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province. In the eyes of his parents, "Subei" (Li Guangsu's nickname), as the second in the family and the eldest son, has always been a sensible child who does not let them worry about it. Before becoming an astronaut, Li Guangsu was recruited by the Air Force in high school and realized his dream of being a pilot. The head teacher of high school still remembers that since Li Guangsu had the dream of becoming a pilot, his state of study and his usual level of effort were completely different, and he finally firmly chose to apply for the examination and become a pilot.
Like Zhu Yangzhu, an astronaut of the "Shen 16" program, Li Guangsu also came from Pei County, Jiangsu, a small city in northern Jiangsu on the shore of Weishan Lake. In the view of the person in charge of the admissions office of the Pei County Education Bureau, the local area attaches great importance to the training of air force pilots, and there is a middle school in Pei County that is the selection base for air force pilots. At most, Pei County walked out of 9 pilots. With Zhu Yangzhu and Li Guangsu successively participating in manned flight missions, the middle school students in Pei County are very enthusiastic about applying for the Air Force pilot examination. The local government will encourage qualified children with flying dreams to participate in the registration through recruitment and publicity, so as to cultivate more flying talents for the country.
Shenzhou-18 astronaut Li Guangsu (source: Xinhua News Agency)
A child who is not worrying and sensible in the eyes of his parents
Li Guangsu, from Pei County, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, was born in July 1987 and has an older sister and a younger brother. When I was a child, my father worked outside the home all the year round, and my mother worked as a farmer at home, taking care of my siblings. Because his father is from Jiangsu, his mother is from Hebei, and because Pei County is located in the north of Jiangsu, they named their son "Northern Jiangsu".
In the eyes of his parents, Li Guangsu has always been very sensible and basically won't let them worry about it. If he is nervous about schoolwork and does not finish his homework, he will not eat, "When I come home from self-study at night, I tell me, Mom, you will eat by yourself when you cook well, keep the meal for him, and brush the pot by himself after eating." Mother Xu Guilan told Jimu News reporters.
His father, Li Houlin, clearly remembers that his wife was poisoned when spraying pesticides. My son, who was still in junior high school at the time, carried the pesticide bucket and took on the heavy responsibility of spraying pesticides. Because of his small stature, it was difficult for my son to walk in the field with a pesticide bucket on his back, and he would fall.
Xu Guilan said that her son is very considerate of himself, but he always hides something in his heart, and even this time he is going to space, because he is afraid that they will worry, he has not dared to tell them, "I called him, he said he was very nervous, I said let him not be nervous, I am nervous when he is nervous...... I also told him that his parents were waiting for him at home and would always be his solid backing. ”
On the morning of April 24, Li Guangsu's parents watched the live TV broadcast of the press conference (photo by Jimu News reporter Zhang Qi)
Xu Guilan said that her son promised him that he would return home when the mission was over. The son likes to eat his own baked oil cakes, and he also said that he wants to eat the chicken he made.
Li Guangsu also loves his family. On this space trip, he will bring two plush toys, which are his daughter's soothing dolls when she was a child, and accompany the child's growth experience from birth to kindergarten. In order to bring these two plush toys to the sky, he also put in a lot of effort, specially bought two similar new toys from the mall, and coaxed them from his daughter's hands.
Li Guangsu's father Li Houlin and mother Xu Guilan (Photo courtesy of Peixian Rong Media)
In high school, I made a firm choice and worked hard to become a pilot
Before becoming an astronaut, Li Guangsu was an Air Force pilot. Facing the camera, he told about his fate with flying. He remembers that on his way home from elementary school, he heard the roar of airplanes in the sky and looked up to see a very large helicopter flying overhead. He thought it was a nice scene and thought to himself how cool it would be if he could sit in an airplane. After dinner in high school, he returned to the classroom and heard from his classmates that the school had signed up for a pilot selection, so he followed the other boys to the school's infirmary to sign up for a medical examination. Later, he went through the college entrance examination, and it was not until after the college entrance examination that he went to Beijing to participate in a physical examination while waiting for the admission letter at home, and finally received the admission letter from the Air Force Aviation University. Joined the Cadet Pilot in 2006.
Xu Guilan told reporters that her son once mentioned to himself when he came home in high school, saying that he wanted to participate in the Air Force recruitment, "I said that if you want to have this desire, then I can't ask for it, I said that I don't understand this (pilot), if you have this ambition, you can go by yourself." ”
Zhao Fang, Li Guangsu's class teacher in his sophomore year of high school, also remembers that Li Guangsu once chatted with him and said that he wanted to be a pilot. Zhao Fang replied to him, child, if you have a dream, then you will work hard yourself. She clearly felt that since Li Guangsu had the dream of becoming a pilot, his learning state and usual hard work have been completely different, "I can see him exercising on the playground every morning." ”
According to Zhang Zhiguang, the head teacher of the third year of high school, Li Guangsu's class of students, before and after the first mid-term examination of the third year of high school, the school held a symposium for particularly outstanding students, and asked the students to talk about their favorite majors and colleges. At that time, Li Guangsu already had a clear dream of flying, and asked the teachers how to take the pilot test and how to sign up. After he started recruiting, he signed up very actively. When you are selected, you will study harder.
Li Guangsu's high school politics teacher said that she also knew Li Guangsu's dream of flying, "I said, as long as you have your own dreams, you should work hard." You have to learn from the aspect of learning, and the second is from the aspect of physical fitness, you have to meet the requirements in all aspects before you can achieve your dreams. ”
Li Guangsu (photo courtesy of Peixian Rong Media)
The only liberal arts student in the third batch of 18 astronauts
According to CCTV News, after Li Guangsu officially started his career as a pilot, he did relatively well in the team of liberal arts students during the theoretical study stage and did not encounter much difficulty; the first time he was led by a flight instructor in the rear cabin to fly into the blue sky, he encountered unexpected problems. His teammates, who took to the skies first, told him that flying was exciting and fun. When it was Li Guangsu's turn, he realized that the smell of gasoline in the cockpit of the first teaching plane and the turbulence of air currents in the sky were not always exciting and pleasant.
"I slowly started to get sick and even a little nauseous and wanted to vomit. But I knew that if I vomited in the sky, I could face grounding, so I put up with it. Li Guangsu said. Later, in training day after day, he continued to overcome, endure, and adjust his state. It wasn't until he became a fighter pilot and began flying fighter planes on his own that he regained his self-confidence. He said that he flew a domestic three-and-a-half-generation aircraft before, and performed many tasks, which are all valuable assets in life.
In May 2018, the mainland launched the selection of the third batch of reserve astronauts. This news made Li Guangsu, who met the selection conditions, very excited. In September 2020, after layers of selection, Li Guangsu stood out from many pilots who signed up for the election and became one of the third batch of astronauts in the mainland.
Li Guangsu said that he was surprised when he heard the news, felt a little unreal, and repeatedly confirmed, "I finally got my wish and joined the glorious team." ”
As the only liberal arts student in the third batch of 18 astronauts, the basic theory course of aerospace made Li Guangsu feel the pressure comparable to "re-preparing for the college entrance examination". Li Guangsu said that it was difficult to study science at the beginning, so he chose liberal arts, but he didn't expect that many years later, he still couldn't escape the fate of studying science. "I was more anxious, because when the teacher talked about a lot of things, my comrades-in-arms nodded frequently, but I really didn't understand. I often ask my comrades-in-arms and teachers privately, starting with the most basic knowledge, including advanced mathematics, who would have thought that after so many years, I would turn it out and learn it again?"
During that time, Li Guangsu and his teammates spent many sleepless nights. "When learning the theory of modified models, the theory has a passing line, but no one has ever said how much more is a passing grade, everyone is rushing to 100 points, and 100 points can be tested resolutely not 99 points. ”
In addition to the basic theoretical learning, the training of vestibular function is also a challenge for Li Guangsu, "endure, through repeated rotation, circle after circle, let yourself adapt, and finally completed it very calmly." ”
According to the astronaut training program, the third batch of astronauts carried out more than 100 training items in eight categories. From the tempering of the body to the will, from the endurance to the improvement of professional knowledge, these are the only ways to become an astronaut. In the past three years, Li Guangsu has completed systematic study and training, and was selected for the Shenzhou 18 crew.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what the starry sky looks like when it's out of the atmosphere, and I'm even more excited when I get out of the capsule, and it should be wonderful to see the earth under our feet spinning in circles. Li Guangsu said.
Li Guangsu's room in his hometown (photo by Jimu News reporter Zhang Qi)
Two astronauts in a small county town "go to space" in a year
In May 2023, among the three astronauts in the Shenzhou-16 crew, astronauts Zhu Yangzhu and Li Guangsu are both from Pei County, Jiangsu. Within a year, two Peixian astronauts "went to space". In Pei County, on the shore of Weishan Lake, the people of this small city are a little excited.
"After watching the press conference, the teachers and students of the school are boiling, which is the glory of our Peixian Huxi Middle School and the pride of our school. "Many students chased after the teacher and asked, "Is Li Guangsu really from our school?" Li Guangsu's high school homeroom teacher said.
Guo Liang, director of the admissions office of the Pei County Education Bureau, said that air force pilots are valuable talents of the country and the main combat force of the air force. The Pei County Education Bureau takes this work very seriously, and each school has a commissioner in charge of admissions. The recruitment of Air Force pilots is divided into two parts, one is the recruitment of high school students, and the other is the enrollment of youth aviation schools. The former is aimed at the current (past) graduates of ordinary high schools, and the latter is aimed at the recent junior high school graduates of ordinary middle schools.
The two astronauts involved in the manned mission in a year were from Pei County, and Guo Liang believes that this is not entirely a coincidence. According to its introduction, the production of pilots is inseparable from the support of the school, as well as the care of the society, the local attaches great importance to the training of pilots, Peixian Middle School is the Air Force pilot selection base, which is a good foundation.
Guo Liang said that with Zhu Yangzhu and Li Guangsu successively participating in manned flight missions, middle school students in Pei County are very enthusiastic about applying for the Air Force pilot examination. The local government will encourage qualified children with flying dreams to participate in the registration through recruitment and publicity, so as to cultivate more flying talents for the country.
Source: Jimu News