18
0Erinome: Hello dear friends, and welcome back to our show! I'm Erinome.
Enceladus: And I'm Enceladus. Today, we have some really exciting news from space. You know that?
Erinome: Yes! It’s about China's new space mission. We are going to talk about the topic of 'Shenzhou-21'.
Enceladus: Wow, another one! So, what's the latest news?
Erinome: The big news is that the Shenzhou-21 mission has a launch date and time.
Enceladus: Oh, really? When is it?
Erinome: It is planned for October 31st, at 23:44 Beijing time. So, it's a night launch!
Enceladus: A night launch sounds so cool! And who are the astronauts for this mission?
Erinome: The crew is a team of three. Their names are Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang.
Enceladus: Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang. Got it. Who is the leader, the commander?
Erinome: Zhang Lu is the commander of the Shenzhou-21 mission.
Enceladus: Is this his first time in space?
Erinome: Actually, no. This will be his second time. He was on the Shenzhou-15 mission before.
Enceladus: Oh, wow! So he is very experienced. What about the other two?
Erinome: For Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang, this is their first time going to space.
Enceladus: That's so exciting for them! A first flight must be a dream come true.
Erinome: Exactly. It's a mix of an experienced astronaut and two new ones.
Enceladus: I also read that they have different roles. What kind of jobs will they do?
Erinome: That's right. The news said they represent three different types of astronauts in China.
Enceladus: Three types? That sounds interesting. What are they?
Erinome: Zhang Lu is the astronaut pilot. Wu Fei is the flight engineer. And Zhang Hongzhang is the payload specialist.
Enceladus: Um, what does a payload specialist do? Is it about science?
Erinome: Yes, you are right. A payload specialist is usually a scientist or an expert responsible for the scientific experiments on the space station.
Enceladus: That makes sense. What were their jobs before they became astronauts?
Erinome: Good question. Before joining the astronaut team, Wu Fei was an engineer at the China Academy of Space Technology.
Enceladus: An engineer! So he must be very good with machines.
Erinome: I think so! And Zhang Hongzhang was a researcher at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics.
Enceladus: A researcher! So we have a pilot, an engineer, and a scientist. What a great team.
Erinome: It really is. They cover all the skills needed for the mission.
Enceladus: So, what is their main goal? What will they do in space?
Erinome: Their main purpose is to go to the Tiangong space station and take over from the Shenzhou-20 crew.
Enceladus: A crew change. How long will they stay up there?
Erinome: They are expected to live and work on the space station for about six months.
Enceladus: Six months is a long time! What kind of work will they do?
Erinome: They will do a lot of space science and application work. And also, they will perform activities outside the space station.
Enceladus: You mean spacewalks? Wow!
Erinome: Yes, spacewalks. They have some important tasks to do outside.
Enceladus: Like what?
Erinome: For example, they will install a device to protect the station from space debris.
Enceladus: Oh, that sounds very important. Space junk is a real problem.
Erinome: It is. They will also install and get back some other equipment on the outside of the station.
Enceladus: This is a very busy mission.
Erinome: It is. And they will also do some education activities for people on Earth.
Enceladus: That’s great! I love it when astronauts teach us about space. How will they get to the space station?
Erinome: They will fly on the Shenzhou-21 spaceship, which is carried by a Long March 2F rocket.
Enceladus: And how long does it take to get to the space station after launch?
Erinome: The news said it will be very fast. It will use a fast docking mode and connect to the station in about 3.5 hours.
Enceladus: Only 3.5 hours? That's amazing! It's faster than many train rides on Earth. haha.
Erinome: Haha, you're right. Technology is really incredible.
Enceladus: So, when all the preparations for the launch started?
Erinome: The rocket and the spaceship were moved to the launch area on October 24th. And they held a press conference on October 30th.
Enceladus: A press conference? Did the astronauts meet the reporters?
Erinome: Yes, the three astronauts met with Chinese and foreign media at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
Enceladus: It must have been very exciting for everyone there.
Erinome: I am sure it was. It's always great to see the heroes before they go on such an important journey.
Enceladus: I feel so proud of them. This is the 6th crewed mission to the space station in its new phase.
Erinome: Yes, and it's the 37th flight mission in China's manned space program history. It’s a big step.
Enceladus: I wish them a safe and successful mission.
Erinome: Me too. Let's hope everything goes perfectly for Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang.
