Commander Cai gears up for his record-breaking mission(2)

Shenzhou selection

When they arrived at the PLA Astronaut Division in northwestern Beijing, Cai and his peers were exposed to nearly 100 subjects they needed to be well-versed in as part of their training, including physics, astronomy, astronautics, space medicine and spacecraft operations.

He spared no efforts to acquire new knowledge and skills to prepare himself for a chance to join a spaceflight.

After waiting nine years, Cai was picked in December 2019 for the Shenzhou XIV mission and started undergoing training specially designed for the flight.

In June 2022, together with mission commander Chen Dong and Liu Yang, Cai embarked on his first space expedition and entered the Tiangong space station. They spent six months working inside the colossal base.

During their orbital stay, the Shenzhou XIV crew, dubbed "the busiest team" by many Chinese fans at the time, oversaw the arrival and docking of two large science lab modules — Wentian and Mengtian — and assembled experimental apparatuses inside them.

The astronauts conducted three spacewalks to install and fine-tune equipment and perform extravehicular rescue drills.

At the end of their mission, Cai and his teammates were joined by the three astronauts in the Shenzhou XV flight, who arrived in late November 2022. Their meeting was the first time that as many as six Chinese people were traveling in orbit at the same time, and was also the first in-orbit gathering between two Chinese crews.

After handing over the Tiangong's control to the newcomers, the Shenzhou XIV crew flew back to Earth in early December 2022.

Memorable experience

Recalling his experience in space, Cai said that during his downtime, he was able to enjoy his personal hobbies, including gardening and reading.

"I brought seeds of lettuce, wheat and tomato and planted them inside the space station. That is why people saw many video clips of me taking care of those plants," the astronaut said. "I also brought some books. I thought about bringing an e-book, but I dropped that idea because I prefer printed copies. Moreover, I brought some movies and TV series to Tiangong, and I watched them while doing exercise."

He also enjoyed peering down at Earth, which gave him a sense of home and belonging.

"Whenever we had spare time, we liked to take some time to look at our mother planet and other beautiful scenes in the universe. Watching through the windows always made me feel comfortable," he recalled.

Back on the ground, Cai spent half a year in quarantine and participating in recuperation programs, which are standard procedures for Chinese astronauts returning from space, and restarted regular training.

Speaking about the Shenzhou XIX mission, the commander said his team has worked very hard to prepare for the challenges awaiting them in orbit.

"We are scheduled to carry out several spacewalks to mount shield devices that will protect the space station from the impact of space debris," Cai said. "We are fully ready with our minds, bodies and skills for this coming mission, and we have the confidence, determination and ability to make it a success."