Video丨From “921” to the space station in 34 years, what path has China’s manned spaceflight taken?

34 years ago today, on September 21, 1992, China’s manned space project was officially launched, code-named “921”. At that time, China did not have its own spacecraft, its astronaut corps had not yet been established, and the space station was more like a distant dream. But a group of people drew a “three-step” blueprint on a piece of white paper.

In the past 34 years-how have the Chinese turned the dream of flying into reality step by step?

• After the project was established in 1992, China’s manned spaceflight began a long climb.
• In 1999, Shenzhou-1 was launched, the first flight test.
• Shenzhou-2 in 2001, Shenzhou-3 and Shenzhou-4 in 2002, unmanned flights have proven the technology bit by bit.

• On October 15, 2003, Shenzhou 5 and Yang Liwei went into space, making China the third country to independently send people into space. For that flight, Yang Liwei went through unimaginable training. Overweight endurance training requires him to withstand 8 times the acceleration of gravity, which is equivalent to eight of himself pressing down on him; weightlessness training requires repeated experiences during tens of seconds of parabolic flight; there are also countless simulations, assessments, and psychological tempering. He represents the persistence of China’s first batch of astronauts for many years.
• In 2005, Shenzhou-6, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng, flew with multiple people and multiple days.
• In 2008, when Zhai Zhigang stepped out of the Shenzhou 7 spacecraft, the Chinese left footprints in space for the first time.
• In 2011, Tiangong-1 and Shenzhou-8 successfully achieved China’s first space rendezvous and docking.
• In 2012, Liu Wang completed the manual rendezvous and docking of Shenzhou-9.

• In 2013, on Shenzhou 10, Wang Yaping gave a lecture in space, and primary and secondary students across the country took the same class.
• In 2016, Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong stayed on Shenzhou 11 for 33 days.

Over the past decade or so, China’s manned spaceflight has moved step by step, from short-duration flights to medium- and long-term stays, and from independent flights to space rendezvous and docking.