As we all know, the selection of astronauts is very strict. Thousands of candidates are selected, and only a few, or at most a dozen of them, become reserve astronauts after going through a lot of hurdles. These people are not all able to go to the sky, waiting for them is a long period of hard, even extreme load astronaut training, in the training may also be due to accidents and lose their lives. Therefore, some people describe it as "devil training". Astronauts can only become full-fledged astronauts and participate in space flights after they have passed the training, examination and evaluation. Fifty percent of reserve astronauts are reportedly eliminated during the training process.
First, the cradle of training astronauts
In order to train astronauts, the U.S., Russia and China have established specialized astronaut selection and training bases. The U.S. astronaut selection and training center is at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and Russia's is at the Gagarin Training Center, 40 kilometers northeast of Moscow. China's astronaut selection and training center is in the Beijing suburbs of the space city, selected reserve astronauts will be concentrated there for training.
Second, why astronaut training?
Astronauts are different from people in ordinary occupations in that they don't just do a single job, but have to wear several hats: commander, pilot, engineer, scientific researcher, astronomer, doctor, mechanic, and so on. Without a strong body, profound knowledge and mastery of multiple skills, it is impossible to accomplish the task. In order to successfully complete the space flight mission, need to carry out long-term hard training. Through the training, it is necessary to achieve:
(1) to enhance the physical fitness of astronauts and improve their endurance under the special environment of space (such as weightlessness, overweight and lack of oxygen);
(2) to enable astronauts to adapt to the environment of the cockpit, and to live healthily and work efficiently therein;
(3) to improve the technical and theoretical knowledge of astronauts and make them competent for a number of jobs in the spaceflight.
The astronaut training programs are many, extensive and complex. In order to meet the standards for carrying out manned space missions, the reserve astronauts have to undergo basic theoretical training, physical fitness training, aerospace environment adaptability training, psychological training, specialized technical training, flight procedures and mission simulation training, life-saving and survival and large-scale joint exercises and other professional training in eight categories and 58 specialties. The training must be focused and targeted, with some knowledge generally understood on the line, and some closely related to the completion of the mission, to be repeatedly trained until mastered. In the whole career of astronauts, in addition to space flight, are spent in constant training. After completing a flight mission, in addition to consolidating the original training subjects, but also for future flight missions to receive new training.
Third, the implementation of training
Astronauts train for a long time, professional astronauts need at least 3.5 to 4 years of time, load experts need 2.5 years. Our 14 astronauts were selected in 1998, and it took 5.5 years of training before one of them went into space. For a professional astronaut, the implementation of training can be divided into the following three stages.
Basic Theory Training Stage
Basic training lasts about six months to a year. During this time, astronauts learn a lot of basic spaceflight knowledge to lay the foundation for future specialized technical training. They learn a wide range of knowledge and a lot of content that no university can learn. For example, the basic theoretical training of our astronauts in the basic training stage includes 13 courses: basic human spaceflight engineering, basic aerospace medicine, basic medical physiology, geography and meteorology, star identification, advanced mathematics, mechanics, English, basic computer science, automatic control theory, basic CNC guidance and navigation, electrical and electronic science, political theory, and literary and artistic recuperation. According to the astronauts, this period is the toughest in their training despite less physical effort and less danger.
Spaceflight Specialized Technical Training Phase
This phase takes 1 to 2 years, and is designed to enable astronauts to master the various skills needed in spaceflight. The content of the training is based on spacecraft technology and various operation skills training, which includes the driving and control of spaceships and space shuttles, the operation of various equipment on the vehicles, the rendezvous and docking training of spacecrafts, the weightless airplane training, the life-saving and survival training, and the medical guarantee training.
Flight Procedures and Mission Simulation Training Phase
This takes about 1 1/2 years. It is training based on the first mission and is for all the procedures of the entire flight process from the time the astronauts enter the capsule, work and live in space, and return to the ground. Several large-scale ensemble exercises are also conducted before taking to the skies so that the astronauts and ground staff can understand the whole process of implementing the program and have a clear idea of what to expect.
The astronauts' physical training, psychology, flight technology training and adaptability to the space environment are carried out throughout the training process. For example, in accordance with the requirements of the training program, China's astronauts have arranged physical training three times a week for two hours each time. Many astronauts themselves also insist on long-distance running every day, so in the sports meeting held by the Institute of Aerospace Medical Engineering, the astronaut brigade achieved excellent results, with the first and second places in medium- and long-distance running encompassed by them. In order to make the astronauts master the training program or content, they have to review it every certain period of time apart. For example, the U.S. requires a refresher course after more than six months of training sessions in order to maintain the previous level of proficiency.
Fourth, spaceflight environment adaptation training
Spaceflight activities will be placed in a variety of special environments, of which the greatest impact on the human body is the overweight and weightless environment. In order to make astronauts adapt to the spaceflight environment more quickly, it is necessary to carry out spaceflight environment adaptation training.
Overweight training
Astronauts have to encounter overweight effect in the process of launching and returning, which makes the weight of human body and organs in the body increase by several times, and people with low overweight endurance will suffer from fainting or respiratory difficulties as a result. A person's overweight endurance can be improved through training. The specific training method is to let the trainee half-recumbent or sitting in the cockpit of the centrifuge, gradually increase the rotational speed of the centrifuge, at which time the overweight value gradually increases until the astronauts can not tolerate it, and then gradually reduce the rotational speed of the centrifuge. It is also possible to simulate the overweight curve encountered during the ascent and return of the spacecraft in conjunction with future flight missions, to conduct periodic training, or to add other factors for a comprehensive experience.
Weightless airplane training
Astronauts are in a state of weightlessness during orbital flight, and weightlessness not only has an effect on human health, but can also affect daily life and work efficiency. Therefore, it is very important to conduct weightlessness training before flight. Since it is impossible to produce really long time weightlessness on the ground, only short-term weightlessness and simulated weightlessness training can be carried out. Short-term weightlessness flight training is conducted with a weightless airplane. This specially adapted airplane can produce 25-35s of weightlessness during parabolic flight, and a weightless airplane can complete about 15 parabolic flights with one takeoff and landing. The use of short weightlessness can experience weightlessness, space orientation, human behavior, life and work under weightlessness and other training. China's astronauts weightless flight training is carried out in Russia's weightless aircraft, they flew 12 parabolic flights in a sortie did not vomit, Russian experts said with admiration: "Chinese astronauts quality is really good!". .
Water immersion training
When a person is in the water, due to the reduction of hydrostatic pressure and gravity loading effect, it can produce some changes and sensations similar to those in weightlessness. This method is not true weightlessness, but only simulates the head-to-toe distribution of body fluids and the floating sensation produced by weightlessness. The immersion training is carried out in a large water tank in which a 1:1 model of the spacecraft can be placed, and the astronauts can be trained to work under weightlessness. For example, the astronauts are trained in out-of-cabin activities, coordination of movements while working inside and outside the cabin, and so on.
Head-down training
When the head is in a low position, blood from the lower body rushes to the head and chest, so if the trainees are often put in a head-down position on the ground, the astronauts will adapt faster to the weightless environment after entering space, and the uncomfortable sensations produced will be reduced. This head-down position is also used by our astronauts to sleep in the night a few days before the launch, which allows the astronauts to adapt to the weightless environment more quickly after entering orbit.
Vestibular function training
After the astronauts enter the weightless environment, more than half of the astronauts will experience reactions similar to ground motion sickness and seasickness, which makes the astronauts very uncomfortable and also affects their work. The main reason for these reactions is that weightlessness affects the vestibular organ of the human inner ear. In order to enhance the adaptability of the vestibular organ, the human vestibular organ can be trained on the ground by using swivel chairs, swings, jumping elasticity nets, sports training and other methods.
Fifth, life-saving and survival training
The astronauts are in potential danger from the launch to the return. Through life-saving and survival training, astronauts can be equipped with self-rescue skills in the event of a dangerous situation, reducing astronaut casualties. For example, during the period from the astronaut's entry into the cockpit to the ignition of the rocket, both the rocket and the spacecraft may malfunction, and if the safety of the astronauts is jeopardized, the rocket can be evacuated using emergency evacuation devices (such as riot slides, emergency evacuation slides and ropes, etc.). How to correctly apply these devices requires training; after the rocket is ignited, the ascent phase of the spacecraft, if there is any danger, requires the astronauts to quickly leave the spacecraft, so the astronauts have to carry out parachute training; after the spacecraft enters the orbit, there may also be dangers, and it is necessary to rescue and evacuate them by spaceships or shuttles, and how to evacuate requires a lot of training in the ground simulator. In the process of return, due to the failure of the automatic control system, the spacecraft may fall to other places, which will bring difficulties to the rescue work, and it is necessary to make the astronauts understand and master all kinds of dangerous situations that may occur after landing and the correct self-rescue measures to be adopted through training. After returning, astronauts may also land in a non-predetermined area, for example, in the sea, dense forests or deserts, where they will not be able to contact the command center and the rescue team will not be able to rescue them in time. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct post-landing survival training for astronauts, so that they can understand the characteristics of the harsh environment they may encounter after landing and master the skills of survival. Survival training can also exercise their will and cultivate their good qualities.
Sixth, psychological stability training
Astronautics activities will bring great psychological-physiological loads to human beings, especially long-term flights, which may cause astronauts to have psychological disorders, and sometimes the psychological state of astronauts during flights will become the key to whether or not the aerospace tasks can be accomplished, so it's very necessary for astronauts to carry out psychological training. At present, the psychological training of astronauts mainly includes the following three parts.
Psychological stability training
The method is to improve the astronauts' psychological stability by combining the training of aviation flight, parachute jumping, overweight and weightless flight, vestibular function, life-saving and survival.
Isolation training
According to the training requirements, the astronauts are allowed to live and work in a small soundproof room for a period of time. Through their performance during the isolation period, it is possible to understand each astronaut's ability to live and work, as well as their ability to adapt to and reserve for the lonely environment, and to improve their future psychological stability in spaceflight and the skill of coordinated work among astronauts.
Psychological support
Three methods are used to improve the astronauts' psychological quality. The first method is the biofeedback method, in which the trainees are allowed to adjust their breathing and relax their muscles, which improves the trainees' vegetative nerve activity and achieves the purpose of reducing physical fatigue and improving work efficiency; or the sound stimulation method, which induces people to fall asleep and achieves the purpose of resting and reducing fatigue. The second method is to make astronauts correctly master the way of treating people and learning to deal with interpersonal relationships through education, so as to improve the psychological compatibility of astronauts. The third method is to improve the astronauts' ability to memorize and deal with problems during the flight by adopting the method of "going through the movie" for the knowledge they have learned.
Seventh, professional and technical training for astronauts
Professional and technical training is a very important part of astronaut training, through which astronauts can master all kinds of skills and relevant theoretical knowledge that they must have in flight. For different space programs, the content of professional and technical training is different. The specific implementation method is to give lectures first and then practice. The training is usually conducted on a single trainer or simulator. There are many different simulators for astronaut training at the Astronaut Selection Training Center. Each simulator is used for a different purpose. For example, the former Soviet Union for the completion of the "Soyuz" mission, designed a "Soyuz" trainer, which in addition to not simulating overweight and weightlessness, can simulate the "Soyuz" spacecraft from the pre-launch In addition to not being able to simulate overweight and weightlessness, it can simulate the entire space flight process of the Soyuz spacecraft from pre-launch preparations to the cutting off of the engines, flight in the air and the return phase, and train the astronauts to complete the operations of rendezvous, docking, orbital corrections, maneuvering flights and descents, etc.; beside the trainer there are computers and a control room, which can monitor the astronauts' working capacity and simulate the emergencies that may occur during the flight, so as to allow the astronauts to become familiar with it on the ground; and there is also a docking simulator, which is similar to the Soyuz simulator. "There is also a docking simulator, which is exactly the same as the device used for docking the Soyuz spacecraft with the space station, and can be used to simulate daylight in the cabin with special lights as in the actual flight; in addition, there are also assembly simulators, tool simulators, electromechanical star simulators, and physical models of the space station, etc. Before the official flight, one of the spacecraft will be put into the space station. Before the official flight, the 1:1 model of the spacecraft to be placed in a large water tank, astronauts wearing special pressure suits, in the water tank to simulate the weightlessness of the various tasks to be accomplished.
The training of astronauts is very grueling, and the tests are also very strict. At each stage of astronaut training, an assessment is conducted to evaluate the training failed will be eliminated. China's 14 astronauts after more than five years of study and training, have completed the basic theory, space environment adaptability, professional technology and other eight categories, nearly a hundred items of study and training tasks, successfully passed the comprehensive assessment of aerospace professional and technical assessment. 2003 July 3, by the astronauts selected by the Evaluation Committee, all 14 astronauts have the ability to independently carry out space flight tasks to be finished, and obtain the qualification of third-level astronauts. In September 2003, Yang Liwei, Zhai Zhigang and Nie Haisheng were identified as the three first-flight echelon astronauts to receive intensive training before flying into space. Finally, Yang Liwei took Shenzhou 5 to the sky, fulfilling the Chinese people's first "flying dream".