Interviews conducted via video calling apps or video chat apps are nothing but normal nowadays, but dialogues between someone from Earth and astronauts in space? Well, why not?
A few days before they complete their month-long space journey, Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong accorded an interview on Nov. 15 while manning the Chinese space station Tiangong-2, reported Xinhua.
Aside from conducting experiments at the Tiangong-2 space lab, the two astronauts in space also double as “special correspondents” for Xinhua.
Yuncheng-born Jing--who turned 50 while in space--and Luoyang-born Chen, 37, spoke to Li Keyong, deputy director of Xinhua All-Media Service.
Li started the interview by extending, on behalf of the leaders and all other people comprising Xinhua News Agency, his “special respect and gratitude” to the two Chinese astronauts or taikonauts, whom he considered as his “special colleagues.”
He informed them that the journals they wrote while on their space mission received more than 100 million views.
“This is the first time in history that astronauts have sent reports back to Earth as news correspondents,” said Li.
Jing--the commander of the spacecraft, Shenzhou-11--said that even while they’re out in space, they “always feel the love” of their family and of their country. He added they also felt the “encouragement, care and support” from fellow Chinese residing in different parts of the world.
It was his third time to be launched into orbit.
Chen specified various “time-consuming” tasks to be accomplished as their mission comes to a close, such as repacking several items.
“Packing in space is strenuous,” said Chen. He stressed they needed to be careful in following packing requirements.
For analysis, Jing said that they would bring back with them the silkworm cocoons, the vegetables grown in space, certain microorganisms and saliva and urine samples.
As for those all those different sorts of trash and waste, Jing said they would put them first inside compressed bags before placing them in the orbital compartment.
“The trash will then crash into the atmosphere and be destroyed together with the compartment,” he said.
When asked how the two astronauts-cum-space correspondents would feel about going back to Earth, Chen said that he would feel “a bit reluctant” to leave Tiangong-2, “our home in space.”
Later he added he would be “happy and thrilled” to go back to China.
Concluding the interview, Chen thanked every Chinese for their “consistent care and support.”
“Hope you will continue to pay attention to spaceflight and the development of our manned space program.”
China spends an estimated $2.2 billion for its space programs annually, according to BBC News.
It launched its first crewed space mission in 2003. By 2022, the country looks forward to completing its own fully operational manned space station.