How are Chinese astronauts trained?

Early morning of October 16, 2021

Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft launched

Three Chinese astronauts enter space

Have you ever imagined

The feeling of flying in space

When entering a microgravity environment

You can float freely

Eating and drinking become fun

Look out the window and you can see the beautiful scenery of the earth

But did you know

Fewer than 600 humans have ever been to space

They have gone through so much training and selection that ordinary people can hardly imagine

How many potential dangers do you face during your journey?

It may even cost you your life.

(Number of times humans have entered space from 1961 to 2021, drawn by @陈随/Planetary Research Institute)

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This article

Will show you how to become a Chinese astronaut

The whole process of staying in the space station and returning

In this journey

You will experience many things you didn't know before.

You will rediscover manned spaceflight

Get to know yourself again

01

Hone

Before the sky

You are just one of the crowd

Surrounded by family and friends

Lively and trivial

(Crowd at the night market, photographer @蒋人可)

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To become an astronaut

You can choose to become an Air Force pilot

Or aerospace flight engineers in scientific research institutes

Or load experts from scientific research institutions

Here we take air force pilots as an example

You have to pass a rigorous selection.

After several to ten years of hard training

Hundreds of hours of driving experience

Successfully handled an emergency in the air

Only then can you pass the initial screening

(Air Force pilot training, photographer @Air Force Online)

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After the primary election

There are several rounds of training and selection.

From physical, psychological, comprehensive quality and other aspects

Conduct a comprehensive investigation and screening of you

(May 25, 2012, Beijing, astronaut Liu Yang undergoes hearing test, photographer @China Astronaut Center)

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Thousands of people are traveling with you

Only a few dozen people were left

The elimination ratio is as high as 100:1

Now

You who passed the selection

Astronaut Corps

Moved into the China Astronaut Research and Training Center

Formal training to become an astronaut

Just getting started

China's astronaut training program

There are 8 major categories and more than 200 subjects

Like a stairway to heaven

Each level up

You will be one step closer to space

(Astronaut training program, drawing by @Chen Sui/Planetary Research Institute)

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Overweight endurance training

You will be subjected to pressure 8 times your body weight

At the same time, you need to perform predetermined actions and answer questions

Your muscles will become severely deformed and you may even have difficulty breathing.

You can choose to stop this by pressing a button

But no one has ever pressed it.

(Centrifuge training in overweight endurance adaptation training, photographer @China Manned Spaceflight, map @Chen Sui/Planetary Research Institute)

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In microgravity

Vertigo is everywhere

This requires vestibular function training

You have to cover your eyes

Sitting on a high-speed rotating chair

Experience a 15-minute spin

When I first came into contact with this type of training

Vomiting is common

(Rotating chair training in vestibular function training, photographer @China Manned Spaceflight)

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In addition, in space

Blood in the body rushes to the brain

You need to lie head down on a bed

To accommodate this redistribution of blood

(Blood redistribution training, photographer @China Manned Spaceflight)

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In addition to physical training

You also need to receive psychological training and professional knowledge learning

Astronomy, aerodynamics, engine principles

Medicine, psychology, zoology, botany

You have too much knowledge to learn.

(Astronaut Jing Haipeng is learning to identify plants, photographer @China Astronaut Center)

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Wilderness survival is also a compulsory course

Whether in space or on the ground

Emergencies can happen

(Wild survival training, photographer @China Manned Spaceflight)

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In the comprehensive practical exercise

You can use the digital simulation system

Immerse yourself in how space works

(Shenzhou XII astronauts conduct digital simulation maintenance training, photographer @China Manned Spaceflight)

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or in a neutral buoyancy tank

Extravehicular activities in simulated microgravity

You have to sink to the bottom of the water with a lead weight on your body

Training lasts 4-6 hours

You feel exhausted after training

(The Shenzhou XII crew conducts extravehicular training in a water tank, photographer @中国漫漫空空)

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Hypobaric Extravehicular Activity Training

It completely simulates the vacuum state

This is one of the most dangerous exercises.

You must wear an extravehicular space suit to protect your life.

(The Shenzhou XII crew conducts low-pressure cabin extravehicular activity training, photographer @中国漫漫空探)

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This training will last for 3-5 years.

During this period

You may miss a lot of time with family and friends.

These are sacrifices that must be made.

Even after all this

You may also serve as a backup astronaut for a long time

Even until retirement, he couldn't really soar to the sky

But your contribution on the ground

It is undoubtedly the first in manned spaceflight.

An integral part

02

Liftoff

Finally waited for the launch day

You and two companions are selected as the official crew

Coming to the Chinese Space Station

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

The huge Long March 2F carrier rocket stands on the tower

Ready to go

Just like your mood at the moment

(Long March 2F carrier rocket before launch, photographer @白龙)

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In the dressing room

You put on your space suits.

It can weigh up to 20 kg

Before you enter the space station

You have to wear this space suit all the time.

(Female astronaut Liu Yang wearing a space suit inside the cabin, photographer @阿毛)

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Before launch

You will say goodbye to the people on earth.

But facing many lenses

You may not be able to say what is in your heart

You walk towards the spaceship.

You in a space suit

Enter the launch cabin with the help of staff

(Shenzhou XII astronauts preparing for departure, photographer @China Manned Spaceflight)

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The hatch is now closed

Entering the launch countdown phase

You are calm in the cabin

Carry out the tasks at hand one by one

I almost forgot the passage of time

Until the countdown panel shows the last minute

3, 2, 1, ignition!

With a loud bang

Main thrusters and main engines ignited

(The moment of rocket launch carrying the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft, photographer @Tea-tia)

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Rocket in the sky

Draw a beautiful arc

(The trajectory of the rocket carrying the Shenzhou 13 manned spacecraft, photographer @戴建峰)

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You are in the spaceship

I was "pressed" on the seat in an instant

From 1x gravity to 3x gravity

In just a few minutes

Gravity suddenly "disappeared"

The pen in your hand floats upward

The fairing protecting the spacecraft was thrown away

Magnificent views of the universe and the earth

Flowing into your eyes from the porthole

(Looking at the Earth and space from inside the cabin during the launch, photographer @中国漫空空)

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But soon

Your attention is drawn back to the cabin.

Now you have officially entered space

In the planned orbit at an altitude of 400 kilometers

Next you will approach the space station

And ready to dock

Docking process

Not as simple as it seems

These are two objects traveling at a speed of 7.9 kilometers per second.

If a collision occurs accidentally, it will cause fatal damage.

(Spacecraft docking process, drawing by @陈随/Planetary Research Institute)

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therefore

Docking requires extremely high-precision speed and angle control

Docking mechanism on both sides

The error must be within a dozen centimeters.

200m, 50m, 10m

3 meters, 2 meters, 1 meter

......

With a vibration

Connected!

(The docking of the Tianzhou spacecraft and the space station is for illustration only, photographer @中国漫空空)

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You can't wait

Want to enter a new home in space

Take off the heavy space suit

But not yet

Docking between spacecraft and space station

Must maintain a strict seal

Otherwise it will cause leakage accidents

You wait for the computer to check the seal.

This process is very long

Finally, a few hours later

Computer sends command: Seal intact

You can open the hatch now.

Floating towards your space life

Space station, here I come!

03

look into the distance

During the first week in space

Excited

You will also have various space symptoms

These symptoms are most obvious 3-7 days after entering the space station.

(Shenzhou XII astronauts "flying over eaves and walls" in the space station, photographer @China Manned Spaceflight)

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Fortunately, the adaptation period passed quickly.

Next Steps

It's time to take a good look at this new home.

The entire core module is 16.6 meters long and has a maximum diameter of 4.2 meters.

The interior space is quite spacious

(Interior view of Tianhe core module, photographer @China Manned Spaceflight)

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The Tianzhou spacecraft came before you

A large amount of equipment and supplies have been shipped

Next, it’s time to “unpack the package”

(“Unpacking the Express”, Photographer @China Manned Spaceflight)

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In "Express Delivery"

In addition to your daily necessities

The most important thing is all kinds of equipment

These devices may be used to maintain the operation of the space station

Or for scientific experiments in space

Here

You need to complete a lot of data collection and technical research

Aerospace medicine experiments, space application system experiments

As well as daily maintenance of the space station, inventory of supplies, etc.

(Astronaut Tang Hongbo is assembling a scientific experiment cabinet, photographer @China Manned Spaceflight)

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During work

A lot of equipment and parts will fly around

Remember to use ziplock bags, Velcro, and ropes at all times.

Fix them in place

(Packages and tools floating in space, photographer @China Manned Spaceflight)

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Besides busy work

You need some energy

The space station's space menu is very rich

Can guarantee 7 days without repetition

Microwave heating in the space station

Make your food as hot as on the ground

You can also enjoy fresh fruits.

(After finishing the meal, the astronauts put the apple core into the bag. Photographer @中国漫人空空)

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Beyond Food

Water and oxygen are essential for survival

But it is not cost-effective to carry a lot of oxygen and fresh water into space.

So you need a regenerative life support system

By electrolysis of water

and exhaled carbon dioxide

Reacts with hydrogen produced by water electrolysis

Can produce considerable oxygen

The water vapor you exhale and the urine you excrete

Then it becomes domestic water through the urine treatment subsystem

Then it goes through the water treatment subsystem to become pure water that can be drunk

(Schematic diagram of the core structure of the urine processing subsystem, drawn by @陈随/Planet Research Institute)

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Take care of personal hygiene

Special equipment or skills are required

For example, taking a shower, washing your hair, cleaning your teeth

In the simplest way

Such as wiping with a towel, rubbing with shampoo

And feces and other excrement

It will be quickly sucked into the bag by a special device

Then put it into the Tianzhou spacecraft

Destroyed when the Tianzhou re-enters the atmosphere

(The toilet system in the International Space Station is shown for illustration only. Photographer @NASA)

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In addition, due to the long flight time

You also need to pay attention to your physical and mental health

Microgravity and radiation in space

It damages your muscles, bones, and cardiovascular system.

You may experience symptoms such as fatigue, infection, and gastrointestinal discomfort

Long-term closed and noisy environment

It may also cause psychological discomfort

therefore

You need a special space exercise prescription

Maintain 2.5 hours or more of exercise per day for each muscle group

(Exercise in the space station, photographer @China Manned Spaceflight)

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At the end of the day

You enter your own private cabin

There is a dedicated porthole here.

(Astronaut sleeping in the cabin, photographer @汤洪波)

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Before going to bed

You look through the porthole

See distant stars and galaxies

But the earth is what attracts you most.

Certain components of the atmosphere emit a faint glow at night.

This is Qihui

(On July 30, 2021, astronaut Tang Hongbo photographed the grand scene of thousands of lights on the North African continent. The stars in the universe and the lights on the earth complement each other, playing a harmonious movement of life together. The layer of light on the surface of the earth is the light emitted by molecules or atoms in the atmosphere in a special process, called airglow. Photographer @Tang Hongbo)

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Mountains, oceans, forests, deserts

Left behind by you in an instant

(Looking at the Earth from the space station, the southern tip of South Africa; southern Peru, the two white dots are the Solimana Volcano and the Koropuna Peak, photographer @汤洪波)

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City Lights

Shining in the dark

You see the city you lived in.

(At 9:29 p.m. on August 24, 2021, when the core module assembly passed over Beijing, Nie Haisheng took this photo of the night view of Beijing. The golden "star" on the right side of the photo is Beijing Daxing International Airport, photographer @倪海胜)

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You see the clouds

See typhoons and lightning

See the Northern Lights, sunrise and sunset

Everything you are familiar with

They all have different looks

(Watching the sunset from the space station, photographer @刘伯明)

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As your days in the space station go by

You are becoming more and more familiar with life here

But tomorrow

You will have a new task

Exit

Extravehicular activity is the most dangerous space activity to date

You will be completely exposed to space.

Faced with threats from radiation, micrometeorites, and space debris

But you have triple protection

The first level is

Airlock

This is your "living room" in and out of space

It has complex functions

Including decompression, air tightness inspection, opening and closing of hatches, etc.

Let you adapt to the environment outside the cabin in advance

And ensure your safety when leaving and returning to the cabin

(Astronauts preparing in the airlock, photographer @中国漫空空)

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The second level of protection is

Extravehicular space suit

This is a more powerful "armor" than the space suit inside the cabin

Composed of multiple layers and components

The innermost liquid cooling suit and ventilation system

Can take away body heat at any time

Preventing sweat from collecting inside the space suit

The thinnest special fiber on the outside has 3 layers

The most places have up to 15 floors

It has the functions of airtightness, pressure bearing, and resistance to micro-meteorites.

A small spacecraft

(Sketch of an extravehicular space suit. The one shown in the picture is the first generation extravehicular space suit, which is for illustration only. The latest Feitian II extravehicular space suit has been improved on the basis of the first generation, with the characteristics of longer service life, higher flexibility and higher reliability. Map by @陈随/Planetary Research Institute)

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The outermost window of the helmet of the space suit

To protect against strong sunlight

Made of pure gold film

Able to protect against strong light in direct sunlight

(Sketch of an extravehicular space suit helmet, courtesy of @陈随/Planetary Research Institute)

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The third level of protection is

Robotic Arm

This robotic arm is world-leading

It has 3 joints in the shoulder, 1 joint in the elbow, and 3 joints in the wrist.

A total of 7 joints

High degree of freedom

Capable of autonomous crawling, self-relocation and installation

Its end effector

There are multiple sensors

Capable of extremely delicate operations

(Robotic arm and its range of motion, drawn by @Chen Sui/Planetary Research Institute)

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You can attach yourself to the robotic arm

Then control it to send you to the designated location

No need to climb the gangway

(Robotic arm movement, photographer @China Manned Spaceflight)

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With this triple protection

Not only did you complete the task ahead of time

There is still time to take some videos with friends

(Two astronauts used the cameras on their space suits to take pictures of each other. Photographer: @中国漫人空空)

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now

You are outside the cabin

There is no one higher and farther than you

An extremely vast starry world unfolds before you

You yourself seem to have become one of them.

The earth is floating beside you

The world shows its gentlest side

From this distance

You don't see strife, you don't see hatred

Can't see all the joys and sorrows

Just a soft blue and white

(Nie Haisheng outside the spacecraft and the space station with the Earth in the background, photographer @中国漫空空)

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You are so far away from humans.

Even a few steps further than your companions in the cabin

But it's never been like this

Feeling deeply connected to the earth and to humanity

With the successful completion of this extravehicular mission

Your life in space is coming to an end.

04

return

6 months

You flew around the earth 2880 times

Appreciate the thousands of faces of the Earth

Completed countless works and scientific experiments

Now, it's time for you to go home

But you still can't take it lightly

Because this is also an extremely dangerous process

Arranging various items

Set the status of each system

After closing the doors between the cabins

You enter the return capsule

(Shenzhou 10 astronaut crew members Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang, and Wang Yaping in the return capsule, photographer @China Astronaut Center)

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The spacecraft separates from the space station

Start adjusting posture and braking to slow down

Entering return orbit

Goodbye, home in space!

You take one last look at the space station from the window.

Then it gradually drifted away

(The return capsule, propulsion capsule and orbital capsule separated and returned, photographer @中国漫空空)

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The key to returning to Earth is

slow down

The reduction in speed can make the flight trajectory decrease

To return safely to the surface

The return capsule speed must be increased from 7.9 kilometers per second in orbit.

Slow down to 200 m/s for the slow descent phase

(Separation process, drawing by @Chen Sui/Planet Research Institute)

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Reverse rocket launch

The spacecraft's speed begins to decrease

The height is decreasing

Approaching the top of the atmosphere

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At 80-100 km from the surface

Return capsule re-enters the atmosphere

The most violent part of this space journey is coming

The atmosphere began to rub against the spacecraft violently.

The surface temperature of the spacecraft rises sharply to 1600℃

Hot air ionizes

A layer of orange ions surrounds your spaceship

This area is called the black zone

The ionosphere will cut off video communications

But your physiological data can still be transmitted back to the ground

(The return capsule is in the atmosphere, photographer @中国漫空空)

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About 10 kilometers from the surface

Your speed has been reduced to 800 kilometers per hour

The parachute system starts working.

It consists of a guide parachute, a deceleration parachute and a main parachute.

(Parachute system, drawing by @Chen Sui/Planet Research Institute)

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Under the pull of two guide parachutes

The parachute opens and the speed drops sharply

You feel a sharp tug

Afterwards

The deceleration parachute pulled out a huge main parachute of 1,000 square meters.

The spacecraft began to descend steadily

(Main parachute opens, photographer @China Manned Spaceflight)

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At the location where it will land

Reverse rocket launches at full power

You hit the ground at 5 km/h

The impact raised huge dust

You need to cut off the main parachute as soon as possible after landing

(Landing, photographer @李昀锡)

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at this time

Air and ground search and rescue teams have already begun operations

The air squadron has located you.

Ground rescuers are coming to you.

(Rescue personnel on the ground handle the return capsule, photographer @阿毛)

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You in the cabin

Maintained an inverted position for a while

But these are already a piece of cake

There were voices and metal colliding outside.

Soon, the hatch opened

You got out safely

The fresh air from the grassland rushes towards you from all directions

You feel relaxed

It's just that the gravity on the surface is so strong

It makes it difficult for you to adapt

(The return capsule of the Shenzhou XII manned spacecraft landed successfully, and the three astronauts left the capsule safely and smoothly. Photographer: @孙海英)

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After a busy and orderly work

You were picked up by helicopter at the airport.

I got on the plane back to Beijing

After returning to the Astronaut Center

You will also have to undergo a detailed physical examination and a long recovery period.

and participate in press conferences, celebration banquets and other activities

After all this

You return home

Sit with your family

Everything around me stands firmly on the ground

You feel the sunrise and sunset 24 hours a day

Wind, frost, rain, snow, birdsong and insects chirping

I have never loved everything in nature as much as I do now.

But this is not the end

After a long period of space life

Your body will take several months

Re-adapting to Earth's environment

You may experience pain and dizziness during this period.

Can't even stand steadily

But you know

These valuable experiences

They are all endless treasures

You will pass them on to the next generation of astronauts.

Escort their journey to the sky

China's manned space program

It is through the efforts of generations of astronauts that

Gradually grow and expand

(Chinese astronauts atlas, drawn by @Chen Sui/Planetary Research Institute)

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On a certain night

When you look up

Maybe you'll see a light streak across the night sky.

That's where you used to live.

The road to get there is bumpy

But the most beautiful scenery is hidden

It's far away and cold

But it proves the greatest journey of China's manned space flight

(The zodiacal light crosses five planets, Earth, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars. The landscape is stromatolites, one of the oldest forms of life on Earth. Photographer @Tea-tia)

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This article was created by

Written by: Zhang Zhao Photos: Pan Chenxia

Design: Chen Sui Review: Li Xueli

Space station model: Zhao Bang, Li Jiangfei, Han Jiaqi, Chen Sui

Head photo/cover photographer: Tang Hongbo

Special thanks: China Manned Space Engineering Office

【Main references for this article】

[1] Chen Shanguang. Heroes of Spaceflight: Tracing the Footprints of Astronauts[M]. China Aerospace Press, 2011.

[2] Ken McTaggart. Flying into space: How astronauts are made[M]. Posts and Telecommunications Press, 2018.

[3]Xu Jianghua. Introduction to Aeronautics and Astronautics[M]. Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Press, 2015.

[4] Scott Kelly. My Year in Space[M]. CITIC Press, 2020.

[5] Terry Wertz (USA). National Geographic Space Exploration Book [M]. Jiangsu Phoenix Science and Technology Press, 2019.

[6] Li Tanqiu. Development of the “Feitian” extravehicular space suit[J]. Manned Spaceflight, 2008(04):8-18.

[7] Huang Weifen. Selection and training of astronauts for the Shenzhou VII manned space flight mission[J]. Manned Spaceflight, 2008(04):19-26.

Source: Planet Research Institute