Soundbites

Editor's note: The State Council Information Office held a group interview on Monday themed "Strivers on the New Journey", bringing together representatives from the space sector to engage with the media on the theme of "Advancing a New Long March of Space Exploration in the New Era".

China's manned space program has made major leaps since it was launched in 1992, progressing from single-module to multi-module missions and from short flights to six-month stays in orbit. We have achieved breakthroughs in crewed space transportation, extravehicular activities and rendezvous and docking, laying a solid foundation for future deep-space exploration. China's broader space program, including lunar and Mars exploration and the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, has also contributed to economic, technological and social development. What has remained unchanged is our dedication to the space program. For astronauts, facing the unknown requires solid knowledge, strong operational skills, sound judgment and a stable mindset. We must respect space, technology and our missions, while trusting ourselves, our teams and China's accumulated engineering capabilities.

Yang Liwei, deputy chief designer of China's manned space program

My work focuses on safety, quality and efficiency at the launch site, where we serve as the final safeguard before liftoff. In human spaceflight, protecting astronauts' lives is always our top priority, and I never overlook any potential safety risk. Over nearly 70 years, China's space program has developed a mature system with clear standards, closed-loop management and a well-defined industrial chain. During the emergency launch mission, after the Shenzhou XX spacecraft was struck by space debris last year, our team remained calm and well prepared. The "one launch, one backup" strategy, together with extensive contingency planning and drills, enabled different systems to respond quickly. From risk assessment to planning and emergency launch, the mission demonstrated the mature, stable and highly coordinated execution capability of China's manned space program.

He Pengju, chief technical coordinator for testing and launch operations at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

As a young member of China's space program, what has remained unchanged for me is our determination to achieve technological breakthroughs independently, our rigorous approach to every detail and the tradition of passing experience from one generation to the next. These qualities have helped us build an internationally advanced space science laboratory system from scratch. Conducting experiments in space remains challenging: launch missions involve many constraints, while the space environment brings extreme temperatures, strong radiation and high vacuum. Every experiment therefore requires careful design and repeated verification. Looking ahead, my generation must build on the work of our predecessors, master core technologies and make full use of the China Space Station to advance space science, technology and applications and strengthen China's high-level technological self-reliance.

Du Changshuai, associate researcher at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization, Chinese Academy of Sciences

I have spent my entire career doing one thing — developing launch vehicles for my country. Since the Long March 1 successfully launched China's first satellite, Dongfanghong 1, in 1970, the Long March rocket family has made major technological leaps, from launching one satellite at a time to carrying dozens, and from expendable to reusable systems. For me, quality and reliability are fundamental. Every screw, every button and every detail can affect the success of a mission and even national honor. That sense of responsibility is an important part of China's space spirit. Looking ahead, the Long March series will continue advancing toward greater carrying capacity, including heavy-lift rockets, higher reliability, more routine launch services and smarter technologies.

Long Lehao, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and an expert with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation