The crew for Shenzhou XX has been confirmed, and it is still the second batch of astronauts leading two from the third batch. There are currently eight third-batch astronauts who have yet to carry out missions.

With the construction of China's space station, the duration of our astronauts in orbit continues to set new records. As we can see, Yang Liwei is listed last. However, his contributions to China's aerospace endeavors are irreplaceable.

Then netizens asked, could Yang Liwei fly again? After all, Yang Liwei has repeatedly expressed his desire to fly again.

To conclude, the possibility is small but not impossible. The first batch of astronauts has basically withdrawn from the front lines. The responsibility of mentoring new recruits now falls on the second batch of astronauts, who will also be the main force for China's future lunar landing missions.

Yang Liwei hasn't flown again not because of physical reasons. On October 15, 2003, he entered space aboard the Shenzhou V spacecraft, completing a 21-hour-and-23-minute flight that opened the door to manned spaceflight for China. During that mission, he experienced 26 heart-stopping seconds of low-frequency resonance, feeling as if his internal organs were being torn apart, but he persevered with extraordinary willpower. However, this did not cause irreversible damage to his body.

Even before the Shenzhou VII mission, Yang Liwei could have flown again, but he gave up. As China's first astronaut to fly into space, Yang Liwei understood that his most important task was not to continue racing as an astronaut, but to feed back his experiences to aerospace scientists and help more astronauts reach space.

Therefore, with Yang Liwei's assistance, the Shenzhou VI made over 180 improvements compared to the Shenzhou V. For quite some time, Yang Liwei was responsible for the selection and training of astronauts, guiding and helping his teammates with his experience. At the same time, Yang Liwei has always been training, even as a backup backup astronaut; he persists in completing all required training.

Starting from the Shenzhou XVII mission, as the space station enters its operational phase, the likelihood of Yang Liwei going into space is very low.

Although Yang Liwei's chance to fly seems remote in the short term, a deeper analysis of the technical development of the aerospace industry and talent strategy reveals a glimmer of hope in the future. First, there are many cases in international space history where older astronauts have participated. For example, American astronaut John Glenn joined a space shuttle mission at the age of 77 to study the changes in the physiology of elderly people in space; Japanese astronaut Mamoru Mohri conducted aging-related experiments during his mission at the age of 58.

This case provides a reference for China's aerospace: with the upgrade of spacecraft technology, the physical load on astronauts may decrease further. For instance, the Shenzhou XVIII has already replaced traditional nickel-cadmium batteries with lithium-ion batteries, reducing weight by 50 kilograms and improving energy efficiency; future batches of Shenzhou spacecraft will significantly enhance their payload capacity for both ascent and descent, optimize the cabin environmental control system, and possibly introduce more intelligent auxiliary equipment to provide astronauts with a more comfortable and safe working environment.

These practices show that the participation of older astronauts not only expands human understanding of the impact of long-term spaceflight but also provides crucial data support for future space travel by ordinary people, especially the middle-aged and elderly population.

Currently, China's commercial aerospace is accelerating the layout of suborbital travel, planning to offer brief weightlessness experiences for about 369 yuan at a price range of 2 to 3 million yuan starting in 2025. If longer orbital-level tourism is to be achieved in the future, it must overcome issues such as cardiovascular dysfunction, muscle atrophy, and bone loss in microgravity environments, which are common among the elderly. At this point, senior astronauts with rich experience and stable physiological indicators executing tasks can systematically collect data on elderly individuals in orbit, verifying the effectiveness of protective measures.

For example, if Yang Liwei participates in the mission, the results of his physiological monitoring can be directly used to optimize health management solutions for commercial space travel.

In addition, China's astronaut training system is constantly evolving. For instance, the fourth batch of astronauts began training in August 2023, with their training direction not only covering space station missions but also aiming at future manned lunar landing plans. Lunar landing missions require higher levels of experience and decision-making ability from astronauts, which may provide a new stage for "veteran" astronauts like Yang Liwei who possess both flight experience and management skills.

Therefore, considering these factors, there is still a possibility for Yang Liwei to go to space. After all, as China's astronaut hero, if Yang Liwei could fly again, it would be the best presentation of China's aerospace spirit: able to endure hardships, fight hard, tackle challenges, and make sacrifices.

As "China's first person in space," his image has deeply integrated into the national narrative of space exploration. If he were to fly again, it would become a landmark event marking China's transformation from a "follower" to a "leader" in space exploration, holding significant value for enhancing national pride and international influence. This cultural symbolism is particularly important in lunar missions – just as Neil Armstrong's "one small step" became a milestone in human civilization, Yang Liwei's "re-launch" might give China's space program greater historical significance.

Of course, Yang Liwei's value goes far beyond one space flight. He is the living embodiment of China's aerospace spirit, an enlightenment figure inspiring countless young people to pursue careers in aerospace, and a witness to China's continuous development in space exploration.

Of course, this is our beautiful hope. Both Fei Junlong and Jing Haipeng, the three captains of the Chinese astronaut team, have realized their dreams of entering the space station. Yang Liwei must surely hope very much to enter China's own space station. We sincerely hope that Yang Liwei can realize his dream.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7496341138551439935/

Disclaimer: The article represents the author's personal views. Please express your opinion by clicking the "like/dislike" buttons below.