Epic Manned Spaceflight: The Leap from Dongfanghong to Tiangong 史诗般的载人航天：从东方红到天宫

乡韵

神舟二十号舰体

史诗般的中国载人航天：从东方红到天宫的跨越

从1970年"东方红一号"卫星划破苍穹，到2025年神舟十九号航天员在空间站完成第三次出舱活动，中国载人航天用55年时间书写了一部波澜壮阔的飞天史诗。这项承载着中华民族千年梦想的伟大工程，不仅实现了从无人到有人、从短期驻留到长期在轨的跨越，更以自主创新的硬核实力和开放包容的大国胸怀，在浩瀚宇宙中镌刻下中国印记。

一、跨越半世纪的飞天征程

1992年，党中央高瞻远瞩启动"921工程"，确立"三步走"发展战略。从神舟一号到神舟四号的4次无人飞行试验，奠定了载人航天技术基础；2003年神舟五号搭载杨利伟首飞，标志着中国成为世界第三个独立掌握载人航天技术的国家。此后，神舟六号实现"多人多天"飞行，神舟七号完成首次太空行走，神舟九号突破手控交会对接，神舟十一号创下33天驻留纪录，中国航天人以年均1次的发射频率，在太空中不断刷新纪录。

进入空间站时代，中国航天按下"快进键"。2021年天和核心舱发射，2022年问天、梦天实验舱相继入列，中国空间站"天宫"以"T"字构型傲立苍穹。截至2025年，空间站组合体已完成12次发射任务，30人次航天员进驻，开展了200余项空间科学实验，在微重力物理、空间生命科学等领域取得突破性成果。

二、自主创新的硬核实力

在载人航天领域，中国航天人攻克了10余项重大关键核心技术。长征二号F火箭以0.9895的可靠性和0.99996的安全性，被誉为"航天员生命的守护神"，其独创的"发射1发、备份1发"应急救援模式，确保航天员在轨安全。神舟飞船采用三舱构型，实现天地往返运输系统的迭代升级；天和核心舱配备20吨级机械臂，可完成舱段转位、在轨维修等复杂操作。

关键技术突破的背后，是航天人"特别能吃苦、特别能战斗、特别能攻关、特别能奉献"的精神支撑。从大漠深处的酒泉发射场到南海之滨的文昌航天城，从"两弹一星"元勋到80后技术骨干，数十万航天人以"功成不必在我"的境界和"功成必定有我"的担当，铸就了中国航天的辉煌。例如，长征五号团队历时10年攻克5米直径箭体技术，使中国进入空间能力提升3倍；空间站系统团队创新性设计"水平T字构型+双自由度太阳翼"，在国际空间站面临老化危机时，展现了中国航天的后发优势。

三、星辰大海的中国担当

中国载人航天始终秉持开放合作理念。2018年，中国与联合国共同启动空间站国际合作项目，吸引了17国参与，涉及空间科学、航天医学等领域。2025年，印度、日本等国的实验项目已在空间站开展，中国航天正以"太空新起点"的姿态，为全人类探索宇宙贡献智慧。

在实现自身发展的同时，中国航天积极履行大国责任。通过"太空课堂"向全球青少年传播科学知识，王亚平的太空授课激发了无数人对航天的热爱；与俄罗斯、欧洲航天局开展联合探测，在火星、月球等领域深化合作。正如习近平总书记所言："探索浩瀚宇宙，建设航天强国，是我们不懈追求的航天梦。"中国航天不仅是科技强国的标志，更成为构建人类命运共同体的重要力量。

站在新的历史方位，中国载人航天正迈向更遥远的深空。从2030年载人登月计划的推进，到可重复使用航天器的研发，中国航天人将继续以敢为人先的勇气和严谨务实的作风，在星辰大海中续写新的传奇。这项史诗般的事业，不仅见证着中华民族的伟大复兴，更昭示着人类探索宇宙的永恒追求。

Epic Chinese Manned Spaceflight: The Leap from Dongfanghong to Tiangong

From the moment when the Dongfanghong-1 satellite pierced the sky in 1970 to the third extravehicular activity completed by the astronauts of Shenzhou-19 in the space station in 2025, Chinese manned spaceflight has written a magnificent space epic over 55 years. This great project, which carries the millennium-old dream of the Chinese nation, has not only achieved the leap from unmanned to manned and from short-term residence to long-term orbital stay but also engraved the Chinese mark in the vast universe with its core strength of independent innovation and the broad mind of an open and inclusive great power.

I. The Space Journey Spanning Half a Century

In 1992, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, with great foresight, launched the "Project 921" and established a three-step development strategy. The four unmanned flight tests from Shenzhou-1 to Shenzhou-4 laid the foundation for manned spaceflight technology. In 2003, Shenzhou-5, carrying Yang Liwei, made its first flight, marking that China became the third country in the world to independently master manned spaceflight technology. Since then, Shenzhou-6 achieved the "multiple people and multiple days" flight, Shenzhou-7 completed the first spacewalk, Shenzhou-9 broke through manual rendezvous and docking, and Shenzhou-11 set a record of a 33-day stay in orbit. Chinese astronauts, with an average launch frequency of once a year, have continuously refreshed records in space.

Entering the era of the space station, China's space program has accelerated. In 2021, the Tianhe Core Module was launched, and in 2022, the Wentian and Mengtian Laboratory Modules were successively launched into orbit. The Chinese space station, Tiangong, stands majestically in the sky in a "T" configuration. As of 2025, the space station complex has completed 12 launch missions, with 30 astronauts having been stationed there, and more than 200 space science experiments have been carried out, achieving breakthrough results in fields such as microgravity physics and space life science.

II. The Core Strength of Independent Innovation

In the field of manned spaceflight, Chinese astronauts have overcome more than ten major key core technologies. The Long March 2F rocket, with a reliability of 0.9895 and a safety level of 0.99996, is known as the "guardian of astronauts' lives". Its unique emergency rescue mode of "launch one, backup one" ensures the safety of astronauts in orbit. The Shenzhou spacecraft adopts a three-module configuration, realizing the iterative upgrade of the space-to-earth transportation system. The Tianhe Core Module is equipped with a 20-ton-class robotic arm, which can complete complex operations such as module transfer and on-orbit maintenance.

Behind the breakthroughs in key technologies is the spiritual support of the astronauts' qualities of "being especially able to endure hardship, fight, tackle key problems, and make sacrifices". From the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the depths of the desert to the Wenchang Space Launch Site on the coast of the South China Sea, from the heroes of the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" project to the post-80s technical backbones, hundreds of thousands of astronauts, with the realm of "success does not necessarily have to be attributed to me" and the responsibility of "I will surely contribute to the success", have created the glory of China's space industry. For example, the Long March 5 team spent 10 years overcoming the technology of the 5-meter-diameter rocket body, tripling China's space access capacity. The space station system team innovatively designed the "horizontal T configuration + dual-degree-of-freedom solar wings", demonstrating the latecomer advantages of China's space program when the International Space Station is facing the crisis of aging.

III. China's Responsibility in the Vast Universe

China's manned spaceflight has always adhered to the concept of open cooperation. In 2018, China jointly launched an international cooperation project for the space station with the United Nations, attracting the participation of 17 countries, covering fields such as space science and space medicine. In 2025, experimental projects from countries such as India and Japan have been carried out in the space station. China's space program, with the attitude of a "new starting point in space", is contributing wisdom to the exploration of the universe for all mankind.

While achieving its own development, China's space program actively fulfills its responsibilities as a major country. By conducting "space lectures" to spread scientific knowledge to teenagers around the world, Wang Yaping's space lecture has inspired countless people's love for spaceflight. China also conducts joint explorations with the Russian space agency and the European Space Agency, deepening cooperation in fields such as Mars and the Moon. As General Secretary Xi Jinping said, "Exploring the vast universe and building a space power is our unremitting pursuit of the space dream." China's space program is not only a symbol of a scientific and technological power but also an important force in building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Standing at a new historical position, China's manned spaceflight is moving towards the more distant deep space. With the advancement of the manned lunar landing plan in 2030 and the research and development of reusable spacecraft, Chinese astronauts will continue to write new legends in the vast universe with the courage to be the first and a rigorous and practical style. This epic cause not only witnesses the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation but also demonstrates the eternal pursuit of humanity in exploring the universe.