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How Taikonauts overcome psychological challenges in space
CGTN
02:26

Editor's note: As the space station is a relatively small and confined environment, living conditions are limited and vastly different from those on Earth. During their three-month stay on China's space station, the three Chinese astronauts, or taikonauts, may experience psychological issues. How should the issues be dealt with?

Bai Yansong: Would you often communicate with Chinese astronauts, or Taikonauts, during their three months of stay on China's space station? This period will inevitably involve psychological issues. How should the issues be dealt with during this period?

Huang Weifen: We will definitely talk to the taikonauts on a regular basis. In fact, taikonauts need to communicate a lot with ground control every day.

In addition, because of the long-term residence on the space station, psychological influences will become more prominent.

Being in a small and confined environment, living conditions are limited and vastly different from ours on Earth.

I think this is a big challenge to the taikonauts' psychological tolerance. We have therefore strengthened the training of their psychological adjustment ability.

At the same time, we use a combination of social psychological support and professional psychological support, as well as in-orbit self-adjustment during the taikonauts' stay on the space station.

Social psychological support means that taikonauts will talk to their families, relatives and friends, or comrades in arms, and other related people who they are very familiar with.

We will arrange for such communication. Meanwhile, professional psychological personnel are also standing by to provide support, and give psychological interventions when necessary.

Besides, there are also leisure and entertainment facilities so that the taikonauts can relax.

Our taikonauts can watch movies, listen to their favorite music, read books, watch videos they like, etc.

In addition, we have also developed technology based on virtual reality called the psychological relief system.

In this system, taikonauts can see their families and scenes they are familiar with so that they can feel relief.

We have also done some relaxation training for the taikonauts, and they can use these methods for psychological adjustment.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com.)

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