Under the vast starry sky, every astronaut is a brave dreamer, and they write a magnificent chapter of human exploration of the universe with their lives and sweat. Today, we want to tell the story of Shenzhou-18 astronaut Li Cong - how a teenager who walked out of the countryside of Handan, Hebei Province, finally flew into space with perseverance and persistent pursuit of dreams, becoming the pride of all Chinese people.
1. Tenacity and dreams in my youth
In October 1989, Li Cong was born in Nanwang Village, Dashe Town, Fengfeng Mining District, Handan City, Hebei Province, in an ordinary peasant family. His father, Li Junsheng, and his mother, Chen Xingfeng, are both hard-working and simple farmers, and there is a sister Li Nana, who is two years younger than him. Despite the difficult living conditions, Li Cong has shown tenacity and optimism that children of his age rarely have since childhood.
Li Cong spent his childhood in corn stacks and in a rental house. When he was 4 years old, when his father was annoyed by the collapse of the stack of corn, he calmly called his mother to help him rebuild it. This calmness and optimism seem to indicate his attitude towards difficulties and challenges in the future.
Nanwang Village Primary School has limited teachers, so in order to let their children have a better future, Li Junsheng and his wife decided to move to the Fengfeng mining area to create better learning conditions for their children. In the mining area, Li Cong and his sister spent their childhood in a rental house. Despite the poor life, Li Cong never complained, but knew how to understand the hard work of his parents since he was a child, and he would cook for his sister at a young age and wait for his parents who returned late.
When he was a teenager, Li Cong once dreamed of becoming a singer. However, the reality of economic conditions forced him to give up this dream. But he was not discouraged, but turned this love for music into motivation for learning, and was admitted to Fengfeng No. 1 Middle School with excellent results.
2. The transformation from pilot to astronaut
In 2009, Li Cong entered his third year of high school and heard the news of the aviation school recruiting pilots from his classmates for the first time. This mysterious profession immediately attracted him, and he decided to apply for the pilot exam to ease the burden on his parents. After several rounds of selection, he was unexpectedly admitted to the Air Force Aviation University and became a pilot cadet.
During his days at the Air Force Aviation University, Li Cong studied hard and trained hard, not only did he not ask his family for a penny, but he also saved his living allowance and sent it to his parents. After graduating from university, he entered a brigade of the Air Force, became a fighter pilot, and was promoted to deputy group leader for his outstanding work, and was rated as a second-class pilot in the Air Force.
However, Li Cong's dream did not stop there. With the development of the mainland's aerospace technology, he came up with the idea of becoming an astronaut. In 2018, he participated in the astronaut selection and met the aerospace hero Nie Haisheng. Nie Haisheng's approachability and encouragement made him more determined in his aerospace dream.
In 2020, Li Cong was successfully selected as the third batch of astronauts in the mainland. For this dream, he paid unimaginable hardships. The astronaut simulation training was extremely hard, but he never gave up and gritted his teeth and persevered every time. His parents were in tears when they saw the reports in the media, but he never mentioned the rigors of training.
3. Family support and sacrifice
On the road of Li Cong's dream, his family is his strongest backing. His wife Ding Jie, an intellectually beautiful and slim woman, has always silently supported his career. Even when he couldn't be by his side, she never complained.
In 2020, Ding Jie gave birth to twin daughters for Li Cong in Beijing. However, at the moment when his daughter was born, Li Cong was still on the training ground. He only stayed for more than two hours after the birth of his daughter before rushing back to the team to train. This dedication and sacrifice to the cause is moving.
Ding Jie understands and supports her husband's choice, and she guards this small family in her own way. On the eve of the launch of Shenzhou 18, she wrote a poem to her circle of friends to bless her husband: "I was covered in mud and stumbled along the way, and I couldn't look back after the pain." The wish buried deep in my heart, the headwind will not retreat and will eventually appear. Come on Brilliant Adventurers! Come on, my hexagonal warrior! This affectionate blessing and encouragement undoubtedly gave Li Cong the greatest strength.
Fourth, the feat of flying and the moment of glory
At 20:59 on April 25, 2024, the Shenzhou-18 manned spacecraft was ignited and launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Base in Gansu Province. After 10 minutes, the spacecraft successfully separated from the rocket and entered the predetermined orbit, and the launch was a complete success. At this moment, Li Cong and his comrades-in-arms became aerospace heroes respected by all the Chinese people.
During the days in space, Li Cong and his crew completed tasks such as the installation of space debris protection devices on the space station, the inspection of extravehicular equipment and facilities, and also carried out two out-of-cabin activities. Their work has progressed steadily and steadily, and they have made tremendous contributions to the mainland's aerospace industry.
When the Shenzhou-18 and Shenzhou-17 astronauts met in space, the six astronauts worked and lived together on the space station for about 5 days. This experience was undoubtedly a valuable asset for Li Cong, who not only forged deep friendships with his comrades-in-arms, but also learned many valuable lessons from them.
5. Enlightenment and thinking
Li Cong's story has brought us a lot of inspiration and food for thought. First of all, he used his actions to explain what perseverance and persistent pursuit of dreams are. No matter how difficult and challenging he faced, he never gave up on his dream, but moved forward bravely.
Secondly, Li Cong's story teaches us that success requires hard work and sacrifice. In order to realize his aerospace dream, he paid unimaginable hardships and sweat. His success was not accidental, but an inevitable consequence.
Finally, Li Cong's story also shows us the importance of family support and sacrifice for personal success. His wife and family gave him the greatest support and encouragement on his way to pursue his dreams, so that he could pursue his dreams without worries.
Li Cong, a teenager who walked out of the countryside of Handan, Hebei Province, wrote a gorgeous history of transformation with his tenacity and perseverance. He has grown from an ordinary rural child to an excellent astronaut, not only realizing his dream, but also making great contributions to the mainland's aerospace industry. His story inspires each and every one of us, and makes us believe that if we have a dream and work hard to achieve it, we will be able to create our own brilliant chapter. As Ye Guangfu commented on Li Cong: "People are as their name suggests, they are very smart." But more importantly, his dedication and pursuit of dreams let us see infinite possibilities and hopes.