Beijing reported on May 23 that according to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, the Shenzhou 16 manned spacecraft and the Long March 2F Yao-16 carrier rocket combination were transferred to the launch area on the 22nd, and it is planned to choose an opportunity to launch in the near future.
On May 22, the Shenzhou 16 manned spacecraft and the Long March 2F Yao-16 carrier rocket assembly were in transit. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
According to the 2023 "task list" of China's manned spaceflight, after the launch of Shenzhou 16 this month, Shenzhou 17 will be launched in October. During this period, there is a particularly noteworthy focus, that is, the third batch of Chinese astronauts will appear on the stage of the space station, and the astronauts of Shenzhou 16 and 17 crews will appear for the first time, flight engineers and payload experts.
The third batch of reserve astronauts will complete the selection in 2020
According to the news of the China Manned Space Engineering Office on October 1, 2020, the selection of the third batch of reserve astronauts for our country's manned space program ended a few days ago, and a total of 18 reserve astronauts (including 1 woman) were finally selected, including 7 space pilots, 7 space flight engineers and 4 payload experts, who will become new members of our country's astronaut team.
According to reports, in order to meet the needs of our country's space station engineering missions, the third batch of reserve astronauts has added two categories: space flight engineers and payload experts on the basis of space pilots. Among them, space pilots and space flight engineers are mainly responsible for direct operation, management of spacecraft, and related technical tests. Payload experts are mainly responsible for the in-orbit operation of space science experiment payloads.
Space pilots are selected from active pilots of the Air Force, aerospace flight engineers are selected from engineering and technical personnel engaged in aerospace engineering and related fields, and payload experts are selected from scientific researchers in the field of space science research and application of manned space engineering.
Or will usher in a non-pilot "astronaut" for the first time
At present, the flight crew members of the Shenzhou 16 mission have not yet been announced, and according to analysis, there is a high probability that the three-person formation will still be retained.
According to reports, since the successful launch of "Shenzhou 5", China has sent 16 and 26 astronauts to space by Shenzhou 15, and the first batch of 9 and the second batch of 7 active astronauts have all flown into space. It is expected that the Shenzhou 16 crew will still "bring the old with the new", led by the older generation of astronauts, and there will also be a third batch of astronauts making their debut, which will be one of the biggest highlights of this mission.
If the astronauts of the Shenzhou 16 and 17 crews will appear for the first time, flight engineers and payload experts, it means that for the first time, "astronauts" from non-pilots will enter space to perform missions.
"Load specialist" does not require a pilot background
According to reports, payload experts are a kind of astronauts classified by mission, which refers to scientific researchers who conduct scientific and applied research and other experimental work in the space station. 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. Payload experts do not require pilot backgrounds, but must have professional training and rich operating experience in science, medicine, engineering and other fields, and are mainly responsible for the operation of relevant experimental payloads.
According to reports, different countries call astronauts participating in space experiments at different stages, such as the United States called "scientist astronauts" during the Apollo moon landing stage and "payload experts" in the space shuttle stage; Russia called "research astronauts" in the Mir space station stage.
What are the requirements for selecting "load experts"?
On October 2, 2022, the China Manned Space Engineering Office announced that in order to meet the needs of the follow-up missions of the manned space project, the selection of the fourth batch of reserve astronauts in our country has recently been launched. A total of 12 to 14 reserve astronauts were selected this time, including about 2 payload experts.
According to reports, the candidate for a load specialist needs to have a doctorate in a relevant professional field and have worked in the relevant industry for no less than 3 years, and be between the ages of 30 and 45. The load specialist also needs to meet certain physical requirements, with a height of 162 to 175 cm for men and 160 to 175 cm for women.