The year 2024 marks the 21st anniversary of China’s first manned space mission， with Yang Liwei becoming the first Chinese astronaut to go to space. Since then， 22 Chinese astronauts have reached for the stars. 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 living in a small confined 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 wonder that astronauts have to go through a tough training program and meet extremely high standards.

2024年是中國首次載人航天飛行任務成功21周年。2003年，楊利偉成為中國第一位成功“飛天”的航天員。自那時起，中國已經有22位航天員飛向太空。專家揭示了航天員在飛向太空之前的訓練有多么艱苦。

人體不是天生適合在太空生活。航天員在太空任務中要面對多種多樣的挑戰(zhàn)。重力的變化會對身體產生影響。在狹小密閉的宇宙飛船里生活數月所產生的孤獨感，會有損心理健康。執(zhí)行任務時出現的突發(fā)狀況，考驗著航天員在巨大的壓力下是否有足夠的知識和能力來解決問題。因此，毫無疑問，航天員得經過艱苦的訓練達到極高的標準。

“To make sure that Chinese astronauts complete their missions and return to Earth safely， eight types， including over 200 subjects of training， are set，” Huang Weifen， chief designer of the astronaut system for China’s manned space project， told CCTV. 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.

“為了保證中國航天員能夠完成他們的太空任務并且安全地返回地球，為他們設置了八大類訓練，包含200多個科目。”中國載人航天工程航天員系統總設計師黃偉芬在接受CCTV采訪時說。除了體能訓練，還涉及基礎的科學理論培訓、心理健康培訓和模擬太空訓練。

在所有的訓練科目當中，最辛苦的是水下訓練。這項訓練的目的是讓航天員能夠適應太空中的微重力環(huán)境。據黃偉芬介紹，航天員待在水下，穿著100多千克的工作服，一次要在水下待6個小時。水的阻力和衣服的重力讓每個動作都變得極其費力?！霸袌蟮琅?，聶海勝（獲選執(zhí)行過太空飛行任務的航天員）曾在做了一次水下訓練之后瘦了兩千克?！秉S偉芬說。

每位航天員在有機會執(zhí)行太空飛行任務之前，要接受至少三年半的訓練。

Word Bank

reveal /r?'vi?l/ v. 揭示；透露

soar /s??（r）/ v. 升空；升騰

be confronted with面臨 （問題、任務、困難等）

isolation /'a?s?'le??n/ n. 孤獨

impair /?m'pe?（r）/ v. 損害

encompass /?n'k?mp?s/ v. 包含，包括

exhausting /?ɡ'z??st??/ adj. 令人筋疲力盡的