In a live telephone link from the Shenzhou V, astronaut Yang
Liwei last night told his family he felt "very good" in space.
"I promise to fulfill this mission smoothly. Wait for my good
news," Yang said confidently.
The talk was held at 7:58 pm between the 38-year-old Yang and
his family members, who watched him carefully at the tracking and
control hall at Beijing Aerospace Control Center.
"So proud of you, hubby," said Zhang Yumei, Yang's wife. "Our
parents, your son and I are looking at you now. What does the
outside of the module look like?"
"Splendid!" replied Yang. "The scenery outside is very
beautiful, and I can see our beautiful home planet. The inner
environment of the craft is very good."
"Dear Daddy, how are you? Have you written diaries? What did you
eat?" asked the astronaut's 8-year-old son Yang Ningkang.
"Thank you, my dear son," Yang said. "The condition of my body
is pretty good. I have written down everything about the work here
and what I saw. I ate the so-called space food in the module," he
added humorously.
"I wish you smooth sailing and I'll see you tomorrow," said the
grade two student.
Yang rocketed into space at 9:00 am yesterday. He took with him
Chinese dishes like eight-treasure rice pudding, stir-fried diced
chickens with chili and peanuts, fish-flavored shredded pork and a
tonic drink containing traditional Chinese medicine.
On the big screen at the command and control center, Yang looked
very calm piloting the capsule from his specially-designed
chair.
Yang was born in June 1965 in Suizhong County of northeast
China's Liaoning Province and joined the Chinese People's
Liberation Army (PLA) at 18.
He graduated from the No.8 Aviation College of the PLA Air Force
in 1987 with a bachelor's degree and went on to log 1,350 hours of
flight experience as a fighter pilot.
In January 1998 Yang became a member of China's first team of
astronauts.
Yang's colleagues describe him as a man with a good sense of
team spirit who is dedicated to his career, while friends in his
hometown, Suizhong County of northeast China's Liaoning Province,
remember that Yang dreamed of flying when still a child. His wife,
Zhang Yumei, is also in the space program.
According to Su Shuangning, director-general of the astronaut
system under the nation's manned space program, China's first team
of astronauts are all capable of working and living in space thanks
to five years of rigid physical, psychological and technical
training.
"To establish myself as a qualified astronaut, I studied harder
than in my college years and have received training much tougher
than for a fighter pilot," said Yang.
(China Daily October 16, 2003)