my country's third batch of 18 astronauts are "surviving in the wilderness" in the desert

In the Badain Jaran Desert, the astronaut version of "Wild Survival" is being carried out. According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, on June 16, the third batch of 18 astronauts from my country went to the Badain Jaran Desert for field survival training. After my country organized the first field survival training for astronauts in the desert area of ​​the landing site in 2018, Chinese astronauts went to the desert again to start a 10-day real version of "Wild Survival".

Deep in the Badain Jaran Desert, known as the "Mount Everest of the Desert", astronauts in crews of three wearing spacesuits need to simulate within 48 hours the entire process of the astronauts independently exiting the capsule after landing, reporting the landing location, waiting for rescue and using existing supplies to save themselves until they are successfully rescued.

This training is mainly aimed at the special situation of the space station's manned mission spacecraft's emergency return and landing in the desert area, and is intended to further enhance the astronauts' field life-saving skills, exercise their willpower, and enhance teamwork and cohesion.

Why conduct wilderness survival training?

Manned space flight is a high-risk undertaking. Any failure in any link from launch to return will threaten the life and safety of astronauts. If an unexpected situation occurs during the astronaut crew's mission in the space station and they need to return urgently, they may not be able to land accurately at the original landing site, but may fall to a place that is difficult to predict in advance.

Before the rescuers arrive, the astronauts must rely on their own strength to survive. Therefore, firmly grasping the field survival skills has become a compulsory course in astronaut training.

Astronauts begin their "lonely battle" from the moment they take off their heavy space suits after leaving the spacecraft. Survival in the desert is a life-saving skill that astronauts must master.

They may encounter various unexpected situations in the wild, such as fractures, skin lacerations, burns, frostbite, etc., and they need to rescue themselves urgently. If the communication equipment fails, they need to light a bonfire to get in touch with the outside world, and they may even face the possibility of fighting with poisonous snakes and wild animals. In addition, food supplementation and drinking water acquisition are also essential skills for survival in the wild.

What subjects should be completed in wilderness survival training?

During this training, 18 astronauts were divided into multiple groups and batches to simulate the entire process of desert survival training, carrying out subjects such as long-distance distress contact and construction of wilderness survival shelters, wilderness survival and short-distance distress contact, and desert travel.

The desert is dry with little rain and dry air. Facing the harsh natural environment, astronauts must first use life-saving radios, satellite positioning devices, satellite phones, etc. to make initial distress calls, then inspect the surrounding terrain, use natural conditions, equipment, return capsules, parachutes, etc. to build shelters to provide shade and insulation, and light bonfires, boil water, and cook food in the desert.

After that, they had to find ways to make close-range calls for help, and determine the route and direction of transfer and walking according to the compass and satellite positioning device. After making a simple route map, backpacks and crutches, everyone wore anti-dust sunglasses, life-saving radios, satellite positioning devices and other equipment as well as self-defense tools, and walked along the pre-determined route to reach the predetermined location.

During training, some astronauts used the parachute's guide parachute to transform it into a lightweight Little Red Riding Hood, which provided shade and blocked wind and sand.

They used dried camel thorn as firewood and used a magnifying glass to focus the light to make fire and light a bonfire. When night fell, the astronauts would also have fun in the midst of hardship. They sat by the bonfire to plan their schedules and exchange their flight experiences and interesting training stories.

What is difficult about wilderness survival training?

The difficulty of desert rescue training lies not only in the harsh and difficult natural environment of the desert, but also in the limited natural resources and water, food and other supplies available to astronauts. As each person is only allocated 5 kilograms of drinking water, astronauts dare not even drink a lot of water and must be frugal. In order to travel light, they must also make reasonable choices in the supplies they carry while ensuring their survival needs.

In addition, during field survival training, astronauts need to overcome severe weather conditions such as strong winds and blowing sand, scorching sun and high temperatures, and rainfall and cooling, and truly experience the natural environment of the desert. At the same time, they need to further verify the rationality of the configuration of life-saving items and provide a basis for subsequent design improvements.

Previously, astronauts conducted sea rescue and jungle rescue training in the waters near Yantai, Shandong, and in the northeast region. Although emergency situations in the wilderness, sea, and desert are almost impossible for astronauts to land, mastering these wilderness survival skills can effectively improve the ability to rescue in emergency situations and the psychological quality of surviving in emergency situations, so as to be prepared for any eventuality.

Source: Science and Technology Daily, Beijing Daily, @Manned Spaceflight Trumpet

Editor: Liu Yiyang

Review: Julie

Final judge: Wang Yu

Source of this article's animated image: China Manned Space Engineering Network's official Weibo (data map)

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