备战23年至今无缘“飞天”，他的故事值得所有人知道……
1998年，14名飞行员通过层层筛选入选我国首批航天员。如今23年过去了，这些人中有一人没有执行过飞天任务又仍在现役，他就是邓清明。
Deng Qingming, aged 55, has never been to space. Deng, a Chinese taikonaut and native of Jiangxi province in East China, has served as a backup space crew member for the Shenzhou-9, Shenzhou-10 and Shenzhou-11 missions for 23 years. He continues to stand ready at his post, available to join a mission at any time.
20多年来
他坚持做一件事追一个梦
1998年1月5日，中国人民解放军航天员大队成立，邓清明成为14名首批航天员之一。
那一天，他庄严宣誓，“英勇无畏，无私奉献，不怕牺牲，甘愿为祖国的载人航天奋斗终生。” 这句誓言，是身为航天人坚定不移的信念。邓清明一直在坚守，目前已23年。
▲ 中国航天员大队首批14名航天员
微小的差距
他多次与梦想擦肩而过
2010年，邓清明被选入了强化训练队，成为神舟九号飞行任务备份航天员。作为一名航天员，备份和主份训练的科目、时间、内容、强度以及考核标准，都是一样的。
要想具备独立执行载人航天飞行任务的能力，航天员需要通过8大类、上百个课目训练的严格考核。邓清明说道：“在训练过程中，必须始终保持非常优异的成绩，最佳的状态，最后才能够进入去执行任务的梯队。”
To have the ability to independently carry out manned space missions, astronauts need to pass rigorous tests in eight categories and hundreds of subjects. "During the training process, one must always maintain excellent results and be in the best condition, and finally be well qualified to carry out tasks," Deng said.
遗憾的是，邓清明落选了。“神九”发射升空后，邓清明在地面按照手册，跟天上的航天员一起把所有程序都走了一遍，做到哪一步就打一个勾。他说：“作为备份的任务，不是从基地回来了，任务就结束了。我的战友安全回来了，这才是做备份的结束。”
"Being backup doesn't mean you don't need to work. I must watch closely in the control center and offer all I know about the mission and the spacecraft in case of emergency,"
"Only when the crew returns to Earth will my mission be complete."
“神九”落选，邓清明相信他下次还有机会。他把“神九”的这次经历当作是一次积累，觉得自己离飞天梦想又近了一步。然而神舟十号任务，邓清明最后因为微乎其微的分差再次与梦想擦肩而过。“就这样一个很小的差距，让你失之交臂，让你止步发射塔前。”
那一年，邓清明47岁，他并不知道“神十一”会是什么时候。
不管飞天之路有多难
他从未想过放弃
2013年体检的时候，邓清明身体里查出一个非常细小的结石。对于普通人来说，这种小结石通常是不用管的，但航天员不行。为了能够继续追寻航天梦，邓清明毅然选择接受手术。
In 2013, Deng discovered a tiny kidney stone. While this is not a condition of immediate concern under normal circumstances, it is different for astronauts, who must maintain a rigorous standard of personal health.
没想到的是，第一次手术时结石没能完全取出，后来医生只能在他肾脏里埋了一根管子。一个多月的时间，邓清明一直带着管子，也尿血了一个多月。直到第二次手术邓清明的结石才被成功取出，“我的梦想重新又点燃了”。
Deng underwent two surgeries, the first unsuccessful. After suffering from hematuria for almost 2 months with a tube placed inside his kidney, the stone was finally removed, reigniting his dream.
2014年，航天员大队有五名航天员因为年龄原因停航了。停航停训仪式后，同是“神九”“神十”飞行任务备份的陈全对邓清明说：“不管主份备份，都是航天员的本分。老邓，你要努力，不要放弃。”
Five of his peers retired in 2014 without a space flight, making Deng the last man standing, with feet firmly on ground.
"Be it a crew or backup, it is our job," Chen Quan, one of Deng's retired peers, told Deng during his retirement ceremony. "Don't give up!"
▲ File Photo from @我们的太空
邓清明说，这辈子，他都忘不了这句话。不管飞天之路多么艰难，他从未想过放弃。每一次任务过后，他都必须在最短的时间内让自己“归零”，抛开过去，以积极的心态去迎接新的挑战。
Deng never forgot those words. No matter how difficult the road to space flight is, he never once thought of giving up. At the end of every mission, he would quickly clear his mind of distractions and welcome new challenges with a positive attitude.
宁可备而无用
决不用而无备
2016年神舟十一号任务，邓清明再次作为备份航天员来到酒泉卫星发射中心。这次，是他离飞天梦想最近的一次。从受领任务开始，在备战的三年里，邓清明完成了和主份同样数量、同样标准的训练。
在“神十一”最具挑战的33天模拟验证试验中，他和另一名航天员陈冬住进了不到10平方米的密闭舱内，与外界完全隔绝。灯一直开着，机器的震动与噪声环绕不歇。不能出去，不能洗澡，无聊时只他能与陈冬两两相对。
When training for Shenzhou XI, scheduled to be launched in 2016, Deng along with crew member Chen Dong were confined in a spacecraft simulator no bigger than 10 square meters for 33 days. They had no showers, ate space food exclusively and endured loud noise and piercing light as they tried to sleep.
发射前一天，总指挥部召开会议，宣布由景海鹏、陈冬执行神舟十一号任务。邓清明再一次与“飞天”任务失之交臂。
On the day of the announcement, however, he was not selected.
如今，55岁的邓清明依旧坚持训练，时刻准备着。“任务的成功即是我的成功，我宁愿做一块默默无闻的基石，也绝不容忍自己在号角催征时，还没有准备好。”
"The success of the mission comes before my personal wishes," said Deng, who to this day still firmly believes he has a chance at a mission and works as hard as any of his teammates.
值得一提的是，受父亲的影响，邓清明的女儿邓满琪也成为了一名航天人。他们父女正在一起努力，在为祖国的航天事业奋斗着。邓满琪曾给邓清明写过一封信，在信中她说：“爸爸是我见过最敬业的人、最无私的人。你永远是我心目中最伟大的英雄！”
Deng's passion has inspired his daughter Deng Manqi, who now works for ground control in Beijing.
"My father is the most hardworking, most selfless person I've ever encountered. My dear dad, you will always be the greatest hero in my eyes," Manqi said in a letter to her father. "Our life and dreams will go on. It's my privilege to work with you."
▲ 邓满琪与父亲在北京航天飞行控制中心飞控大厅合影。/资料图
在叩问苍穹的飞天梦里有无数个“邓清明”虽未披甲征战，已是鞠躬尽瘁他们从韶光年华到鬓发染霜，数十年始终默默坚守和拼搏。正是因为有了他们的付出，中国离实现航天强国的梦想才越来越近。
向中国航天致敬！向中国航天人致敬！
编辑：陈月华来源：中国日报网 央视新闻
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