英语新闻丨Shenzhou XVIII's post-1980 astronauts set for launch

The three post-1980 generation crew members of the Shenzhou XVIII mission said on Wednesday that their similar professional backgrounds and mutual trust will help them complete all the objectives set for the mission.

2024年2月24日，神舟18号的三名80后航天员表示，他们相似的专业背景和相互信任将有助于他们完成任务所设定的所有目标。

The Long March 2F rocket carrying the astronauts aboard the Shen­zhou XVIII spacecraft is set to lift off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China at 8:59 pm on Thursday, Lin Xi­qiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency and spokesman for the mission, said during a news conference on Wednesday at the launch center.

24日，在酒泉卫星发射中心举行的新闻发布会上，中国载人航天工程副主任、任务发言人林西强表示，长征2F运载火箭将于25日晚8点59分在中国西北部的酒泉卫星发射中心发射，搭载神舟18号航天员。

The crew members are Senior Colonel Ye Guangfu, who is the mission commander, Colonel Li Cong and Colonel Li Guangsu. Ye was also a crew member of the Shen­zhou XIII mission that returned in April 2022, while Li Cong and Li Guangsu will be making their first spaceflight.

神州18号的机组成员是叶光富、李聪、李广苏，叶光富担任指令长。叶光富是2022年4月返回的神舟13号任务的机组成员，而李聪和李光肃将进行他们首飞。

Ye, 43, said that unlike his first mission, which was full of excitement because it fulfilled his dream of becoming an astronaut, this trip will require him to bear greater responsibility as mission commander.

43岁的叶光富表示，他对神州13号的任务充满了兴奋，因为它实现了他成为一名宇航员的梦想；与之不同，神州18号任务将要求他作为任务指挥官承担更大的责任。

Nonetheless, Ye said while meeting the media at the launch center on Wednesday, "Every mission to space is a new start."

尽管如此，叶光富在发射中心会见媒体时表示，“每一次太空任务都是一个新的开始。”

"Besides recovering, I also had to return to training in the past two years. And the structure of the space station is new to me and more complicated to operate. Also, leading a team is another new challenge," he added.

“在过去的两年里，除了恢复我并没有放弃训练。空间站的结构对我来说是新的，操作起来更复杂。此外，领导一个团队是另一个新的挑战。”。

All of the crew members were trained as pilots in the People's Liberation Army Air Force and share other similarities in age and experience, said Li Cong, who is 34.

34岁的李聪说，所有机组人员都在中国人民解放军空军接受过飞行员训练，在年龄和经验上都有相似之处。

"To ensure the smooth running of the space station with complicated operation systems, all the operations must be precise, and the mutual trust of the crew members is required," he said.

“为了确保操作系统复杂的空间站的顺利运行，所有的操作都必须精确，并且需要机组人员的相互信任。”

Li Guangsu, who is 36, will be responsible for conducting experiments in space. He said he is looking forward to experiencing life in weightless conditions.

36岁的李光肃将负责进行太空实验。他说，他期待着体验失重状态下的生活。

"Besides work, I also want to take a good look at the beautiful blue planet and our country. Furthermore, I want to see if the stars do twinkle, for my child," he added.

“除了工作，我还想好好看看这个美丽的蓝色星球和我们的国家。此外，我还想为我的孩子看看星星是否会闪烁。”

Lin, the China Manned Space Agency deputy director, said the main objectives set for the mission include the handover of the space station from the Shenzhou XVII crew and carrying out a series of experiments and missions during the new crew's six-month stay.

中国载人航天总局副局长林西强表示，这次任务的主要目标包括从神舟17号机组人员手中移交空间站，并在新机组人员六个月的停留期间进行一系列实验和任务。

According to the plan, the Shenzhou XVIII crew members will return to the Dongfeng landing site in late October.

根据计划，神舟18号机组人员将在10月下旬返回东风着陆点。

During the mission, the country's first in-orbit aquatic ecological research project will be carried out. Using goldfish algae and zebrafish to establish a self-cycling aquatic ecosystem in orbit, the aim of the project is to make a breakthrough in the cultivation of vertebrates in space, Lin said.

在执行任务期间，神州18号将开展我国首个在轨水生生态研究项目。利用金鱼藻和斑马鱼在轨道上建立一个自循环的水生生态系统，该项目的目的是在太空中培育脊椎动物方面取得突破。

Cang Huaixing, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization, said the experiment could help people build aquatic ecosystems and food-producing systems in space in the future.

中国科学院空间利用技术与工程中心的研究员仓怀兴表示，这项实验可以帮助人们在未来的太空中建立水生生态系统和粮食生产系统。

Besides continuing to recruit and train Chinese astronauts for upcoming space and lunar missions, China will also promote the participation of foreign astronauts and space tourists in flights to the space station, Lin said, adding that China is confident that its space station will welcome more new members from different backgrounds in the near future.

林西强表示，除了继续为即将到来的太空和月球任务招募和培训中国宇航员外，中国还将促进外国宇航员和太空游客参与空间站的飞行。中国有信心在不久的将来，它的空间站将欢迎更多来自不同背景的新成员。

Lin also said that China's crewed lunar exploration program is progressing smoothly, with the development of major component systems, such as the Long March 10 carrier rocket, the crewed spacecraft Mengzhou, the lunar lander Lanyue and the lunar landing suit, having been completed, with prototype production and tests being carried out.

中国载人探月工程进展顺利，长征十号运载火箭、载人飞船“梦舟”号、月球着陆器“揽月”号和登月服等主要组成系统的研制已经完成，样机生产和测试正在进行中。

In 2023, crewed lunar exploration was approved by the central government for launch and implementation, with the aim of landing Chinese on the moon by 2030.

2023年，中央政府批准了载人探月计划的启动和实施，目标是到2030年实现中国人登月。

The plan is to launch two carrier rockets to send a crewed spacecraft and a lunar lander into lunar orbit. The spacecraft and lunar lander will dock with each other, after which the astronauts will enter the lander, Lin said.

该计划是发射两枚运载火箭，将载人飞船和月球着陆器送入月球轨道。飞船和月球着陆器将相互对接，之后宇航员将进入着陆器。

lunar lander

登月飞行器

lunar orbit

绕月轨道