Special Chairs for Shenzhou-13 Taikonauts are Made in China's Chongqing

Chongqing- The Shenzhou-13 crewed spacecraft has completed all its tasks, and China's Shenzhou-13 taikonauts, Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu, returned home on April 16 after a 183-day mission in space.

It is very impressive to see the taikonauts sitting on special chairs and being interviewed after they were carried out of the capsule.

Ye Guangfu was carried out of the capsule on April 16 after a 183-day mission in space. (Photo provided to iChongqing)

The special chairs for astronauts in this mission were designed by a team from Shenzhen Infinite Technology Co., Ltd. The company has deep ties with Chongqing.

Wang Yaping was carried out of the capsule on April 16 after a 183-day mission in space. (Photo provided to iChongqing)

Gravity readaptation

Why do astronauts have to sit in wheelchairs and can't stand after returning to earth? Because they have lived in space for a long time and need to adapt to gravity after returning to the earth.

Then what are the benefits of the chairs for astronauts developed by Shenzhen Infinite Technology Co., Ltd. and its Chongqing team?

According to the relevant person in charge, the team focused on the professional concepts and methods of industrial design and met the short-term physical support needs of the astronauts after returning to the ground under the guidance of experts from the Astronaut Center of China (ACC).

As a result, the use of design reduced the huge impact on the astronauts' bones, muscles, and blood caused by being in a weightless environment for a long time.

The chair has been designed with aesthetics, ergonomics, and structural soundness and strength. It will play an essential role in supporting the whole body of astronauts in various states such as rest, movement, and communication and help them adapt to gravity again.

Special designs for space missions

In previous years, the company has undertaken a number of design tasks for ACC, such as developing two generations of special transfer chairs for the Shenzhou-10 and the Shenzhou-11 missions.

As an early-established industrial design company in China, Shenzhen Infinite Technology Co., Ltd. was officially based in Liangjiang New Area in 2019. It also established the Southwest Innovation Design Center to help Chongqing develop into a design capital.

With the increase in space missions, which will be normalized eventually, re-adapting the astronaut's body to gravity has become a considerable challenge. The team also faced greater challenges than previous generations of chair design.

The design team carried out comprehensive consultation and field research at ACC and the Landing Site of the re-entry capsule, gaining an in-depth understanding of the specific performance of the astronaut safeguarding tasks.

Currently, Shenzhen Infinite Technology Co., Ltd. has flourished with the support of the Chongqing Municipal Economic and Information Commission and other departments.

Specifically, the company participated in many projects, such as the image upgrade of the Chongqing National Expo Center, the Yuelai Design Park, and the Chongqing Liangjiang Collaborative Innovation Zone, contributing positively to upgrading Chongqing's industrial design level.

(Shi Jiaqi, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)