PLA Taikonaut Brigade chief has eye on Mars

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Nie Haisheng, chief of the Taikonaut Brigade, spoke to CGTN about the risks Chinese astronauts have to face on space missions.

And Nie should know; he successfully carried out the Shenzhou-6 space mission and is also a crew member of the Shenzhou-10.

CGTN: It has been 20 years since you joined China’s first group of taikonauts in 1998. What has changed and what has remained the same in your career?

Nie: What remains unchanged is the sense of responsibility. I have been a taikonaut for 20 years. With the development of the manned aerospace industry of our country, we have become more confident and we are proud of our country. We have completed six manned space missions and 11 of our taikonauts have gone into space. What has changed is that we grew older, but I think there will be more young people involved in the space industry in the future.

CGTN: As chief of the Taikonaut Brigade, what do you think of your crew? What’s your assessment of your team?

Nie: The Taikonaut Brigade is unified as a team. We have the same responsibility to achieve China’s dream. Thanks to the collective wisdom of technical personnel and the efforts made by generations of scientists and taikonauts, we are able to achieve the missions one by one. We are a special group, there are also many taikonauts who have been training for decades, but are not able to go into the space. Our success can not be achieved without the help of these people. The honor belongs to everyone on our team.

CGTN: You have successfully accomplished two manned space missions. What are your expectations for the future development of China's aerospace industry?

Nie: In the report of the 19th CPC National Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping mentioned the dream of building a strong country with a strong aerospace industry. China is the third country sending taikonauts into space after Russia and the US. In the future, we will strengthen international cooperation with foreign peers. China is carrying out a multiphase construction program that leads to a space station around 2022. And I think in the future, we will be able to land on the Moon or even visit Mars. I believe this day will certainly come.