Zhu Yangzhu, China's first flight engineer heading to space

Zhu Yangzhu, one of the three Chinese taikonauts who will carry out the Shenzhou-16 spaceflight mission, meets the press at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, May 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

JIUQUAN, May 29 (Xinhua) -- When China revealed the crew of its Shenzhou-16 mission on Monday, many were surprised to find that, for the first time, an engineer would be among those flying to the nation's space station. The lucky man making this pioneering step is flight engineer Zhu Yangzhu.

"I am full of expectations for this space trip and hope to witness more higher-level sci-tech achievements in orbit," Zhu said at a press conference on Monday.

Along with his two crewmates, Zhu will be launched aboard the Shenzhou-16 spaceship on Tuesday. It will be the first journey for members of the country's third batch of astronauts. The trio will stay in orbit for about five months.

A former university teacher with a doctoral degree, Zhu said he has made the rapid transition to a "spaceflight soldier" thanks to his career accomplishments and the nurturing of the times. He also sees the space mission as the result of his decade-long pursuit of flying.

Born in 1986 in Peixian County, east China's Jiangsu Province, Zhu was fascinated with flying as a child. His middle school was a pilot selection base, which allowed him to gain experience with aviation technology.

He failed to become a pilot for various reasons, but stuck with his passion by applying to major in aircraft systems and engineering at the National University of Defense Technology.

"Although I lost the chance to fly, I could still study the tools that fly," he recalled, noting that he was nicknamed "flying pig" by his classmates because of his obsession with the sky.

Within a year of completing his master's degree, Zhu was appointed as an engineer to work on construction sites in the mountains. All year round, he followed a demanding routine, painting scaffolds, building sheds, installing heating equipment, and climbing up and down deep, dusty wells.

He began his teaching career at a university in 2017 after he completed his postdoctoral research under Qian Qihu, a renowned Chinese military engineer. Zhu gave full play to his talent there, and was soon promoted to associate professor.

He thought he would dedicate his life to teaching and research, but when China began recruiting its third batch of astronauts, his dream of flying was once more ignited. In addition to pilots, the recruitment process was expanded to include flight engineers and payload experts.

This undated photo shows Zhu Yangzhu, one of the three taikonauts who will carry out the Shenzhou-16 spaceflight mission. (Xinhua)

In September 2020, Zhu was eventually selected as one of the country's third batch of 18 astronauts, including six other flight engineers.

However, for an engineer who had no air flight experience, the range of astronaut training tasks presented a real challenge. What impressed him in particular was manual rendezvous and docking.

"The operation is like threading a needle in space," he recalled. After training for more than a thousand hours, he could eventually complete the manual operation smoothly and accurately.

Another challenge for Zhu was the 72-hour sleep deprivation experiment. Astronauts had to stay up for three days and three nights in a closed room, during which they had to do many tests on a computer, an ordeal that required large amounts of perseverance.

He not only completed the harsh training himself, but also played a role in relaxing the team atmosphere and helping his colleagues stay clear-headed by singing, organizing games and telling jokes.

There are no shortcuts on the road to space, and Zhu endured many hardships in the course of his training.

A survival training course in the Badain Jaran Desert in northwest China pushed his physical and psychological limits. During the 48-hour course, he had to drink his own urine due to the lack of drinking water. He successfully replenished his strength and survived the scorching heat.

Last year, all his persistence and endurance paid off when he was appointed to carry out the Shenzhou-16 crewed mission.

During his stay in orbit, Zhu's tasks will include routine maintenance and repair of the space station, as well as conducting relevant technical tests and experiments.

"I also look forward to looking down on the beautiful Earth from the space station and sharing my space experience with my family," Zhu said.