When Yang Liwei, the first Chinese-trained astronaut in space, stepped out of the capsule of Shenzhou V at 6:23 am Beijing time yesterday, the launch and return of the Shenzhou V turned out to be a complete success.

But it's impossible for Yang to easily forget the hard days he experienced in the selection and training process for becoming an astronaut and instant national hero.

"It's really a hard job when it comes to the training and various requirements," Yang said in a TV interview before heading into space.

"But that means nothing when we think of the dream cherished by all generations of Chinese people, and the hope it will come true," he added.

The historic manned space flight has made Yang a celebrity of the first order, yet there are hundreds more heroes behind the scenes.

The first generation of Chinese astronauts were chosen from among 1,500 fighter pilots in the air force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, according to Su Shuangning, commander-in-chief and chief designer of astronaut systems in China's manned space programme.

Both the excellent physical and psychological conditions and quick response capabilities of the astronauts ensured the success of the first manned space flight, he said after the launch and return of Shenzhou V yesterday.

The selection standards are very rigorous, with only one of 100 meeting the requirements, Su said.

China started its astronaut selection process in 1996 and about 600 pilots qualified in the preliminary round, with just 60 left after a second round of cuts.

The selectees then came to Beijing for a thorough physical check-up and psychological testing. Those who survived the examination formed the current astronaut team.

"All the finalists are college graduates and have flying experience of at least 1,000 hours," Su said.

According to the selection criteria, the standard figure for a Chinese astronaut is around 1.7 metres with a weight of about 65 kilograms.

"This is the standard build of an ordinary Chinese man, but people of smaller build are preferred considering the limited space of the capsule," Su said.

Physical check-ups for astronauts are complicated, with the candidates hospitalized for a month to receive comprehensive check-ups so that any potential diseases can be excluded, Su said.

The restrictive selection criteria are necessary since the astronauts have to deal with various difficult problems on the mission, he said.

The chosen astronauts experienced three stages of tough training: basic theory, special skills and flying operations, Su said.

In the first stage, the candidates most show excellent knowledge of basic theories of space flight such as flight dynamics, astronautics and astronomy, as well design principles of rockets and spacecraft.

In the second stage, astronauts must grasp all facets of the structure and composition of the spaceship and its operational modes.

In the third stage, astronauts are required to enter the simulators similar to the real spaceship to take flights including the complete process from launch through entering orbit until returning and landing.

(China Daily 10/17/2003 page2)