Preparing The Mind And Body For Space

张语迎

This year marks the 20th anniversary of China s first manned space mission， with Yang Liwei becoming the first Chinese astronaut to go to space. Since then， another 17 astronauts have reached for the stars. The selection of the fourth generation of astronauts began in 2022 and is now in full swing. Experts revealed how tough the training is before astronauts can soar to space.

The human body is not designed for space life. Astronauts are confronted with multiple challenges on a space mission. The changes in gravity can have an impact on their bodies. The sensation of isolation and confinement living in a small spacecraft for months can impair their mental health. Emergencies  during missions challenge their knowledge and ability to solve problems under huge pressure. So it s no won- der that astronauts have to meet extremely high standards and go through a tough training pro- gram.

To make sure that Chinese astronauts com- plete their missions and return to Earth safely， “Eight types， including over 200 subjects of training， were set， ”Huang Weifen， chief design- er of the astronaut system for China s manned space project， told CCTV News. Apart from physical fitness training， it also encompasses basic scientific theories， psychological health，and mock missions.

Among the training subjects， the most tiring one is underwater training. This training is designed for astronauts to adapt to the microgravity environment in space. According to Huang， astronauts stay underwater in suits weighing over 100 kilograms for six hours at a time. Water resistance and the heavy suit make every move exhausting.“Nie Haisheng（one of the astronauts）once reported a two- kilogram loss in weight after one underwater training exercise，”said Huang

Each astronaut receives training for at least three and a half years before having the chance to go to space.

今年是中國首次载人飞行任务成功 20 周年，2003 年，我国“神舟五号”载人飞船在 酒泉卫星发射中心 成功发射，把中国首位航 天员杨利伟送入太空。自那时起，已经有17 位航天员飞向太空。第四批航 天员的选拔 工作2022年启动，现在正全力进行中。专家 揭示了，航天员在高飞进入太空之前的训 练，有多么困难。

人体不是为太空生活而设计的。航天 员在太空任务中要面对多种多样的挑战。 重力的变化会对身体产生影响。在狭小密 闭的宇宙飞船空间生活数月，所带来的孤独 感和封闭感，会有损心理健康。执行任务过 程中出现的突发状况，考验着他们，在面对 巨大的压力时是否有足够的知识和能力。 所以毫无疑问地，经过困难的训练并且达到 非常高标准的要求，才能成为一名合格的航 天员。

为了保证中国航天员能够完成他们的 太空任务并且安全返回地球，“训练有八大 类，包含200多个科 目”，中国载人航天工程 航天员系统总设计师黄伟芬在接受 CCTV 采访时说，“每个科目又有很多训练 单元，涉 及到医学、生理、心理，还有科学理论和工程 技术，以及模拟太空训练等。”

在所有的训练课目当中，最辛苦的是水 下训练。这项训练的目的，是为了让航天员 能够适应太空环 境中的微重力。据黄伟芬 介绍，航天员呆在水下，穿着100多公斤重的 工作服，一次要在水下工作6 个小时。水的 阻力和衣服的重力让每一个动作都变得极 其费力。“曾有报道披露，聂海胜（一位获选 执行太空飞行任务的航天员）曾在经历了水 下训练之后瘦了两公斤”，黄伟芬说。

每一位航天员在有机会执行太空飞行 任务之前，都要接受至少三年半的训练。

选自《21世纪英文报》