China Daily:
I have two questions. First, compared to previous manned space flights, the time span of the Tiangong 2 and Shenzhou 11 space mission was much longer. In doing so, the aeronautical scientists adopted considerable measures to guarantee the stay of the two astronauts. The mission has turned out to be a success. Therefore, does that mean our country is capable of ensuring that astronauts can stay in space over a longer period of time? Concerning the abovementioned issue, how about the selection of the astronauts in the third batch? Second, the development of Tianzhou 1 Cargo Spaceflight has been in full swing. Would you please give us a brief introduction about the progress concerning the cargo spacecraft?
Wang Zhaoyao:
We'll give the floor to Deputy Chief Engineer Huang to answer the question.
Huang Weifen:
Thank you for your questions. Now, I'll briefly answer them. During this mission, our astronauts stayed in space for more than 30 days. It is a record for a Chinese crew, which can be considered an enormous challenge posed to the entire aeronautic system as well as a pivotal step for the transition to long-term manned spaceflight. The success fully shows that China have already developed the technologies that can support a long-term manned spaceflight and stationing.
I'll elaborate on this in the following three aspects. First, the success of the mission has proved that the measures we took to ensure the stay in the space are very effective, which has consolidated the bedrock for future long-term manned spaceflight. During the mission, our astronauts and the ground crew assessed the measures regularly. According to our statistics, the feeding rates of the two astronauts reached 95%. Everybody knows that we tried our best to prepare for a manned spaceflight lasting as long as 33 days, providing our astronauts with more than a hundred varieties of aeronautic foods. Considering their different tastes, we selected the foods that are similar to the flavors of their home cuisine. For example, Jing Haipeng is from Shanxi Province, so we provide him with the Shanxi vinegar; meanwhile, Chen Dong is a Henan native, so we offered him his favorite noodles. Within the restriction of the flight conditions, the aeronautic foods cannot compare with the flavor of ground cooking, but astronauts understand the importance of foods and nutrition when they are completing their missions; they took every meal scrupulously which in some respects reflects their professionalism. That is one of the fundamental reasons for the success they achieved during this manned spaceflight.
Huang Weifen:
Additionally, based on the physical data we tested, the physical exams, their personal views through videos, audios and images, the processes when they were completing their tasks and the data pertinent to guaranteeing their stay in the space stations, the conditions of the astronauts are very good now that they are back on earth. We got news from the landing spot that Jing Haipeng opened the door of the returned module on his own. Those conditions fully prove the effectiveness of our three major measures: to guarantee the health, life and work of the astronauts during their stay in space. Through such practices, we have better understood the technologies that ensure the safety of the space missions and are now armed with more experiences, both of which are precious fortunes. We'll continue to use them to design measures that can safeguard long-term manned spaceflight and stationing in the future.
Second, to facilitate future long space missions, we carried out orbital tests of key technologies and new ones in three major areas.
For instance, we tested the system that obviates treadmill movement in the space station when astronauts run on it. In long space missions, this feature is very important. In the Shenzhou 11 mission, our astronauts undertook many workouts on the treadmill that gave us a chance to test the system and the exercise regime. The data we have collected will help us develop new treadmills and new exercise programs for future astronauts.
We also tested the remote ground-space healthcare system. This is important to the wellbeing of future astronauts. We are applying the latest ultrasound medical imaging technology in the space station. We have designed a VR-based psychotherapy system that will help astronauts maintain mental health and improve regulation of their emotions during long space missions.
We have developed a material management system for crew members and an interactive electronic manual. We have also carried out research on the time required for complicated tasks. These activities will greatly facilitate future long space missions and help improve astronaut work efficiency.
In addition, we have tested plant cultivation technologies and the brain-computer interface. Growing plants in space tests astronauts' ability to install machines and complete cultivation tasks. We found that such activities were helpful and efficient in keeping the astronauts happy and maintaining emotional balance. All the tests are considered important in maintaining health, improving well-being and enhancing the work of astronauts on future long space missions. They also help us further improve the human-computer interface and the design of tasks and in-orbit operations for astronauts.
Third, the outstanding performance of astronauts has shown the soundness of the selection and training processes. During the Shenzhou 11 mission, it didn't take Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong long to accustom themselves to the environment in space. They conducted all operations and followed all instructions accurately. The teamwork was good. The two astronauts were excellent, completing all tasks smoothly.
The mission helped us accumulate rich experience in handling astronauts, such as their stamina and adaptability in space, knowledge reserve, daily life, fitness regime, work schedule, complicated and precise medical operations, in-orbit maintenance, human-computer interaction and ground-space coordination. The comprehensive capabilities of our astronauts were improved, providing strong support for future long space missions. The success of the Shenzhou 11 mission showed that our country is capable of sending astronauts into space for long periods.
Now, I'd like to answer the question on selecting candidates for the third astronaut batch. At present, we have completed design of the selection plan, and the actual process will start next year. To cope with the multiple tasks involved in running a space station, we plan to expand the selection scope. Besides military pilots, we will select engineers majoring in aerospace technologies to become aerospace engineers.
Wang Zhaoyao:
I would like to add one thing about the progress of the research and development of Tianzhou-1. This cargo ship is China's brand new space vehicle, and will be responsible for delivering supplies to the orbiting space station, including the astronauts' consumables such as food, necessities, propellant, maintenance items, and test and load measurement equipment. It will also be able to dispose of some of the waste from the space station as required. Tianzhou-1 is now in the general assembly and test phase, and it will be launched from Wenchang to rendezvous and dock with the Tiangong-2 space lab, followed by an attempt at propellant refilling. Thank you！