Profile: Zhang Zhiyuan: rooted by Yellow River, bound for sea of stars

JIUQUAN -- Rooted in Baiyin city in Northwest China's Gansu province, a town along the Yellow River, Zhang Zhiyuan once gazed at the starry sky with countless others and witnessed the launch of Shenzhou V. Now, as a member of the Shenzhou XXIII crew, he is poised to fulfill his lifelong dream.

The Shenzhou XXIII manned spacecraft, crewed by Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Li Jiaying, or Lai Ka-ying in Cantonese, is scheduled for launch at 11:08 pm Sunday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China.

Born in 1986, Zhang formed an inseparable bond with aviation when the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) recruiters visited Zhang's high school to select pilots.

Zhang recalled pilots wearing white helmets saluting from mid-air as their warplanes flew over Tiananmen Square during the National Day military parade in 1999. He was determined to become a pilot like them, signed up immediately, and received his admission notice from the Aviation University of the Air Force.

After graduating from university, Zhang became a fighter pilot. With more than 1,200 hours of flight time, he transformed into a powerful eagle soaring over the snowy plateau in China's northwest.

"But I always feel something is awaiting me ahead," Zhang said.

When China launched the third batch of astronaut selection in 2018, Zhang signed up without hesitation, and after rigorous selection, he successfully joined the country's astronaut team in 2020.

The journey to space is longer and more rugged than any path Zhang has ever traveled.

Upon becoming an astronaut, he started with basic theoretical studies. These include aerodynamics, thermodynamics, design principles of rockets and spacecraft, and flight attitude control. Faced with profound expertise, Zhang resolved to learn from scratch and eventually passed all theoretical assessments.

During the 72-hour sleep deprivation training, on the verge of falling asleep, he bit his tongue to stay awake, regained consciousness, and pressed on with the mission.

"Training is not actually the toughest part," Zhang paused and said. The biggest challenge he overcame was coping with not being selected.

Since the Shenzhou-16 mission, the third batch of astronauts have realized their dreams of spaceflight one after another. Zhang spared no effort, yet repeatedly missed opportunities during rigorous crew selection rounds.

"Looking back, I failed to fully grasp the inherent laws of manned space missions," Zhang said.

As a veteran fighter pilot, he developed the habit of completing movements in the shortest possible time. Nevertheless, manned spaceflight prioritizes stability and precision over speed, forcing him to adjust his muscle memory and thinking patterns.

"In underwater training, buoyancy and bulky suits restrict movement. Blind pursuit of speed leads to rapid physical exhaustion. Only by adapting to force directions steadily can we achieve efficient results," Zhang said.

What impressed Zhang most was China's first astronaut cave training launched late last year. During the six-day and five-night mission, he and his teammates stayed in caves with an average temperature of 8 degrees Celsius and humidity up to 99 percent.

The isolated and confined cave environment resembled extreme space conditions. They accomplished scheduled tasks including cave exploration, scientific research and material management. Faced with the all-engulfing darkness ahead, Zhang felt no fear and maintained a bold spirit of exploration.

After being selected for the Shenzhou XXIII crew this year, Zhang and his crew members entered the space station model for a half-month mission training to simulate real space work and life on a full scale. Having undergone countless trainings, Zhang became extremely composed.

Calm, reliable and reassuring, with an earnest heart, these are the unanimous evaluations on him from the other two crew members.

"From having a dream to realizing it is a long journey paved with faith and perseverance," Zhang said at a press conference on Saturday.

He also offered three pieces of advice: root dreams in solid ground, turn passion into resilience in the face of difficulties, and closely link personal dreams to the needs of the motherland.

The surging Yellow River gradually faded from Zhang's sight as he grew up. However, the upcoming spaceflight will give him an unprecedented opportunity to gaze at the river near his hometown from space.

"What I long to see most after entering space is our mother river," he said.