This is a list of Chinese astronauts, sometimes called taikonauts. The list includes people trained by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a 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 during the Cultural Revolution, 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]
As of 2023[update], eighteen Chinese nationals have traveled in space.
| Name | Name in Chinese | Photograph | Mission(s) (dates) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yang Liwei | 杨利伟 | Shenzhou 5 (October 15, 2003) | First Chinese national in space. First solo person in space who was not flown on a Soviet/Russian or American spacecraft. | |
| Fei Junlong | 费俊龙 | Shenzhou 6 (October 12–16, 2005) Shenzhou 15 (November 29, 2022–June 3, 2023) |
Commander of the first two-person Chinese crew in space. | |
| Nie Haisheng | 聂海胜 | Shenzhou 6 (October 12–16, 2005) Shenzhou 10 (June 11–26, 2013) Shenzhou 12 (June 17–September 17, 2021) |
Member of the first two-person Chinese crew in space. | |
| Jing Haipeng | 景海鹏 | Shenzhou 7 (September 25–28, 2008) Shenzhou 9 (June 16–29, 2012) Shenzhou 11 (October 17–November 18, 2016) Shenzhou 16 (May 30, 2023–present) |
Member of the first three-person Chinese crew in space. First repeat Chinese national in space. Commander of the first Chinese crew to achieve crewed spacecraft docking. | |
| Liu Boming | 刘伯明 | Shenzhou 7 (September 25–28, 2008) Shenzhou 12 (June 17–September 17, 2021) |
Member of the first three-person Chinese crew in space. | |
| Zhai Zhigang | 翟志刚 | Shenzhou 7 (September 25–28, 2008) Shenzhou 13 (October 15, 2021–April 16, 2022) |
First Chinese national to walk in space. Commander of the first Chinese three-person crew in space. | |
| Liu Wang | 刘旺 | Shenzhou 9 (June 16–29, 2012) | Member of the first Chinese crew to achieve crewed spacecraft docking. | |
| Liu Yang | 刘洋 | Shenzhou 9 (June 16–29, 2012) Shenzhou 14 (June 5–December 4, 2022) |
First Chinese woman in space. Member of first Chinese crew to achieve crewed spacecraft docking. | |
| Zhang Xiaoguang | 张晓光 | Shenzhou 10 (June 11–26, 2013) | Conducted crewed spacecraft rendezvous and docking. | |
| Wang Yaping | 王亚平 | Shenzhou 10 (June 11–26, 2013) Shenzhou 13 (October 15, 2021–April 16, 2022) |
Second Chinese female taikonaut and the first Chinese woman to travel twice in space. First Chinese woman to walk in space. | |
| Chen Dong | 陈冬 | Shenzhou 11 (October 17–November 18, 2016) Shenzhou 14 (June 5–December 4, 2022) |
Conducted multiple space experiments. | |
| Tang Hongbo | 汤洪波 | Shenzhou 12 (June 17–September 17, 2021) | ||
| Ye Guangfu | 叶光富 | Shenzhou 13 (October 15, 2021–April 16, 2022) | ||
| Cai Xuzhe | 蔡旭哲 | Shenzhou 14 (June 5–December 4, 2022) | ||
| Deng Qingming | 邓清明 | Shenzhou 15 (November 29, 2022–June 3, 2023) | ||
| Zhang Lu | 张陆 | Shenzhou 15 (November 29, 2022–June 3, 2023) | ||
| Zhu Yangzhu | 朱杨柱 | Shenzhou 16 (May 30, 2023–present) | ||
| Gui Haichao | 桂海潮 | Shenzhou 16 (May 30, 2023–present) | First payload specialist, first civilian taikonaut in space |
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 May 2023, only 2 names of the group have been revealed.
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.
