Wang Haoze, one of the three taikonauts who will carry out the Shenzhou-19 spaceflight mission, meets the press at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Oct. 29, 2024. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese taikonauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze will carry out the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceflight mission, scheduled for launch at 4:27 am Wednesday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, the China Manned Space Agency announced at a press conference on Tuesday.

Of the three taikonauts, Wang, the only female space flight engineer in China currently, has inspired many Chinese netizens with her experiences and dedication. Wang said she couldn't wait to enjoy the joy of weightlessness on the space station and added that she will strive to fulfill her mission so as to meet the expectations of the country and people.

Wang is currently China's only female space flight engineer and will become the third Chinese woman to embark on a crewed spaceflight mission, the agency noted.

The Global Times has learned that Wang majored in thermal and power engineering at college, and focused on plasma detonation during her graduate studies. After graduation she was engaged in the pre-research work of rocket engines.

"As an aerospace professional, I never thought that I would become a taikonaut someday, this is so valuable and also so cool," Wang said, "I enjoy challenging uncharted fields and acquiring new knowledge."

Wang believes success relies on two principles: diligent and thoughtful training.

As an engineer, Wang previously had no flight experience, making the aerospace physiology tests in the selection process particularly challenging, CCTV news said.

When Wang first tested on the centrifuge, the enormous load for just tens of seconds made breathing difficult, with her lungs feeling like tearing apart, as reported by CCTV news, "but I am determined never to be the first one to ring the emergency bell," Wang said.

The ten-minute rendezvous and docking operation was once a daunting task for Wang.

She learned from her fellow members and keeps a notebook to memorize the key points about rendezvous and docking mission. After nearly a thousand practices, Wang is now well equipped to finish each training exercise with excellent performance.

Wang's perseverance and unyielding spirit have inspired many netizens, some of whom commented on Weibo that Wang is surely working hard and paying a lot of effort, with others saying that this is the embodiment that women do not lose to men.

Song and Wang, among the third batch of Chinese astronauts, are newcomers to space. Both of them were born in the 1990s, as reported by the Xinhua News Agency.

"We've trained countless times in simulators on the ground. Like everyone else, I have dreamed of visiting China's Space Station and experiencing the joy of weightlessness," said Wang, adding that "I want to carefully complete every task and protect our space home."

For this mission, Wang will be responsible for the space experiment program, material management, and station management.

"From a rocket engine designer to a space flight engineer, my role has changed, but the initial spirit and mission of serving the country in space stays the same," Wang said on Wednesday.

Wang said the journey they're treading now is challenging, but she's willing to dedicate herself to it.

Global Times