BEIJING: Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, the three taikonauts of the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceflight mission crew, made their public debut on Wednesday afternoon, some 60 days after their safe return to Earth.
Astronaut Center of China revealed to the Global Times on Wednesday that the crew has completed various stages of isolation recovery and rehabilitation, and fully entered a recovery observation phase.
Currently, the Shenzhou-18 crew members are in good condition, both physically and mentally. All medical checkups have yielded normal results, and their muscle strength, endurance and cardiovascular function have generally returned to pre-flight levels. After completing the recovery tasks and conducting a health assessment summary, the three taikonauts will transition into regular training, the center disclosed.
Ye, the mission commander of the Shenzhou-18, has spent 375 days working and living in orbit during two manned spaceflight missions, with the crew’s stay in orbit lasting 192 days, both of which set new records for the longest single-person and crewed stay in space, according to the center.
Ye was a member of the Shenzhou-13 crew from October 2021 to April 2022, and served as the mission commander for Shenzhou-18 mission from April 2024 to November 2024.
He described his feelings about returning to his “space home” as three changes: From visiting to coming home, it feels warmer and more reassuring. From one module to three modules, the environment is more comfortable, and the tasks are more complex. “From taikonaut 03 to commander, my role has changed, and I have greater responsibilities.”
At the press event, Ye shared that “to continuously maintain an efficient work state, it is essential to have good time management, a healthy lifestyle, and a strong and sustained passion for the tasks at hand.”
Taikonaut Li Cong revealed that the support team of the Astronaut Center of China had prepared various mystery boxes and birthday surprises before the mission was launched. Then, at the beginning of each month, during major holidays, or on birthdays, the ground staff would notify us to go to the cargo ship and search for these surprises. “The process felt like a treasure hunt.” These thoughtful arrangements added joy and anticipation to the astronauts’ intense and busy work, providing very effective psychological support, Li Cong said thankfully. –The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
