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List of Chinese astronauts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This is a list of Chinese astronauts. Although they are sometimes referred to as taikonauts in the media, this term is not officially used in China. The official designation in English is simply astronauts (Chinese: 航天员 hángtiānyuán). The list includes individuals trained by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) to command, pilot, or serve as crew members aboard spacecraft.
As the Chinese space program developed during the sixties, various proposals for crewed spacecraft were made. The first crewed spacecraft proposed by the People's Republic of China during the late 1960s and early 1970s was the Shuguang One which was expected to bring the first Chinese astronaut in 1973 into space.[1] For this programme 19 astronauts were selected in 1971.[1] However, shortly after these plans were made, several leading scientists attached to the project were denounced, bringing progress to a standstill.[1] Instead, NASA astronaut Taylor Wang, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in China, became the first ethnically Chinese person in space in 1985.
The People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps was established in 1998 for the selection of Shenzhou program astronauts.[2] In 2003, Yang Liwei was launched aboard Shenzhou 5, becoming the first person sent into space by the Chinese space program.[3] This achievement made China the third country to independently send humans into space. During the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008, Zhai Zhigang became the first Chinese citizen to carry out a spacewalk.[4] In 2012, Liu Yang became the first Chinese woman to be launched into space aboard Shenzhou 9 and also the first aboard a space station Tiangong-1.[5] In 2021, Wang Yaping became the first Chinese woman to walk in space during the Shenzhou 13 mission.[6] In 2023, Gui Haichao became the first civilian astronaut not enlisted in the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps and is the first mission payload specialist.[7] In 2024, Wang Haoze became the third Chinese woman to travel to space on the Shenzhou 19 mission and is the only female spaceflight engineer.[8]
As of April 2025[update], twenty-six Chinese nationals have traveled in space.
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By selection group
- Shuguang Group (May 1970)
- Chai Hongliang
- Dong Xiaohai
- Du Jincheng
- Fang Guojun
- Hu Zhanzi
- Li Shichang
- Liu Chongfu
- Liu Zhongyi
- Lu Xiangxiao
- Ma Zizhong
- Meng Senlin
- Shao Zhijian
- Wang Fuhe
- Wang Fuquan
- Wang Quanbo
- Wang Rongsen
- Wang Zhiyue
- Yu Guilin
- Zhang Ruxiang
- Group 1
- October 1996
- Li Qinglong (mission: backup commander Shenzhou 5; retired in 2014)[9]
- Wu Jie (mission: backup commander Shenzhou 6; retired in 2014)[9]
- January 1998
- Chen Quan (mission: backup commander Shenzhou 7; retired in 2014)[9]
- Deng Qingming (mission: Shenzhou 15; backup Shenzhou 9, Shenzhou 10, Shenzhou 11, Shenzhou 12)
- Fei Junlong (mission: commander Shenzhou 6, Shenzhou 15; backup Shenzhou 7)
- Jing Haipeng (missions: Shenzhou 7; commander Shenzhou 9, Shenzhou 11, Shenzhou 16)
- Liu Boming (missions: Shenzhou 7, Shenzhou 12)
- Liu Wang (mission: Shenzhou 9)
- Nie Haisheng (missions: Shenzhou 6; commander Shenzhou 10, Shenzhou 12; backup Shenzhou 7, Shenzhou 9)
- Pan Zhanchun (retired in 2014)[9]
- Yang Liwei (mission: commander Shenzhou 5)
- Zhai Zhigang (missions: commander Shenzhou 7, Shenzhou 13; backup Shenzhou 6)
- Zhang Xiaoguang (mission: backup Shenzhou 9; Shenzhou 10)
- Zhao Chuandong (retired in 2014)[9]
- Cai Xuzhe (mission: Shenzhou 14; commander Shenzhou 19)
- Chen Dong (missions: Shenzhou 11, commander Shenzhou 14, commander Shenzhou 20)
- Liu Yang (missions: Shenzhou 9, Shenzhou 14)
- Tang Hongbo (mission: Shenzhou 12; commander Shenzhou 17)
- Wang Yaping (missions: Shenzhou 10, Shenzhou 13; backup Shenzhou 9)
- Ye Guangfu (mission: Shenzhou 13; commander Shenzhou 18)
- Zhang Lu (mission: Shenzhou 15)
- Group 3 (October 2020)[12]
China announced that 18 people, 17 men and 1 woman, had been selected as new astronauts. The positions were broken down as 7 spacecraft pilots ("aviators of the People's Liberation Army Air Force"), 7 flight engineers ("former researchers or technicians in aeronautics, astronautics and other related fields"), and 4 mission payload specialists ("those involved in space science and through applications for China's manned space program").
As of October 2023, only names of those selected to fly to space have been revealed.
- Gui Haichao (mission: Shenzhou 16)
- Zhu Yangzhu (mission: Shenzhou 16)
- Tang Shengjie (mission: Shenzhou 17)
- Jiang Xinlin (mission: Shenzhou 17)
- Li Cong (mission: Shenzhou 18)
- Li Guangsu (mission: Shenzhou 18)
- Song Lingdong (mission: Shenzhou 19)
- Wang Haoze (mission: Shenzhou 19)
- Chen Zhongrui (mission: Shenzhou 20)
- Wang Jie (mission: Shenzhou 20)
- Group 4 (October 2022)[13]
China announced that 12 to 14 people are to be selected as new astronauts. The positions were broken down as 7-8 spacecraft pilots ("aviators of the People's Liberation Army Air Force") and 5-6 spaceflight engineers ("former researchers or technicians in aeronautics, astronautics and other related fields"). Up to two of the latter group will become payload specialists ("those involved in space science and through applications for China's manned space program"). Candidacy was extended to include Hong Kong and Macau.
On June 11, 2024 China announced 10 candidate astronauts, including 8 spacecraft pilots and 2 payload specialists from Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR. Reports prior to this announcement revealed that Lai Ka-Ying of Hong Kong was one of the women selected in the fourth group. The new astronauts will train for two years for both space station missions and crewed lunar missions.[14][15]
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