CCTV Beijing reported on May 23 that according to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, the combination of the Shenzhou 16 manned spacecraft and the Long March 2F Yao 16 launch vehicle was transferred to the launch area on the 22nd and is planned to be launched in the near future. .
On May 22, the Shenzhou 16 manned spacecraft and the Long March 2F Yao 16 launch vehicle assembly were in transit. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
According to China's manned spaceflight "task list" in 2023, after the launch of Shenzhou 16 this month, Shenzhou 17 will be launched in October. During this period, there is a special focus that deserves attention, that is, the third batch of Chinese astronauts will board the stage of the space station. The astronauts in the Shenzhou 16 and 17 crews will have two categories: flight engineers and payload experts. personnel.
The selection of the third batch of preliminary astronauts will be completed in 2020
According to news from the China Manned Space Engineering Office on October 1, 2020, the selection of the third batch of reserve astronauts for my country's manned space program ended before the working day, and a total of 18 reserve astronauts (including 1 female) were finally selected. Including 7 space pilots, 7 space flight engineers and 4 payload experts, they will become new members of our country's astronaut team.
According to reports, in order to meet the needs of my country's space station engineering missions, the third batch of reserve astronauts has added two categories: aerospace flight engineers and payload experts in addition to aerospace pilots. Among them, aerospace pilots and aerospace flight engineers are mainly responsible for directly controlling and managing spacecraft, and conducting relevant technical experiments. Payload experts are mainly responsible for the on-orbit operation of space science experiment payloads.
Aerospace pilots are selected from active pilots in the Air Force, aerospace flight engineers are selected from engineering technicians engaged in aerospace engineering and related fields, and payload experts are selected from scientific researchers in the field of space science research and applications in manned aerospace engineering.
It may be possible to usher in "astronauts" who are not pilots
At present, the flight crew members for the Shenzhou 16 mission have not yet been announced. According to analysis, there is a high probability that the three-person crew will still be retained.
According to reports, since the successful launch of the "Shenzhou 5", China has sent 16 and 26 astronauts to space, and the first batch of 9 astronauts and the second batch of 7 astronauts have all achieved flight. . It is expected that the Shenzhou 16 crew will still "bring the old with the new" and be led by the older generation of astronauts. At the same time, the third batch of astronauts will also make their first appearance, which will be one of the highlights of this mission. one.
If the astronauts of the Shenzhou 16 and 17 crews will have flight engineers and payload experts for the first time, it means that for the first time, "astronauts" from non-pilot backgrounds will enter space to perform missions.
"Payload Specialist" does not require pilot background
According to reports, payload experts are a type of astronauts classified according to their tasks. They refer to scientific researchers who conduct scientific and applied research and other experimental work on the space station. Simply put, payload experts are astronauts who participate in space experimental operations. With the deepening of space science and technology activities, space science and technology activities have become more and more specialized, so payload experts have emerged as the times require. Payload experts do not require a pilot background, but they must have professional training in science, medicine, engineering and other fields and have rich operational experience. They are mainly responsible for the operation of relevant experimental payloads.
According to reports, different countries have different names for astronauts participating in space experimental operations at different stages. For example, the United States calls them "scientist astronauts" during the Apollo moon landing stage, and "payload experts" during the space shuttle stage; Russia The Mir space station stage was called "research astronaut" and so on.
What are the requirements for selecting a “load expert”?
On October 2, 2022, the China Manned Space Engineering Office announced that in order to meet the needs of subsequent missions of the manned space engineering project, the selection of my country’s fourth batch of reserve astronauts has been launched recently. A total of 12 to 14 preliminary astronauts were selected this time, including about two payload experts.
According to reports, candidates for payload experts need to have a doctorate in a relevant professional field, have worked in the relevant industry for no less than three years, and be between 30 and 45 years old. Load specialists also need to meet certain physical requirements, which range from 162 to 175 centimeters for men and 160 to 175 centimeters for women.