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List of Chinese astronauts

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List of Chinese astronauts

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Chinese ''taikonauts'' on a 2010 counterfeit Somalia stamp

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. For this programme 19 astronauts were selected in 1971. However, shortly after these plans were made, several leading scientists attached to the project were denounced, bringing progress to a standstill. 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. In 2003, Yang Liwei was launched aboard Shenzhou 5, becoming the first person sent into space by the Chinese space program. 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. 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. In 2021, Wang Yaping became the first Chinese woman to walk in space during the Shenzhou 13 mission. 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. 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.

, twenty-eight Chinese nationals have traveled in space.

Astronauts

Flown

NameName in ChinesePhotographMission(s) (dates)Time in spaceNotes
Yang Liwei杨利伟[[File:Yang Liwei.jpg50px]]Shenzhou 5 (October 15, 2003)21 h 22 mFirst 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[[File:Dyor Fei Junlong.jpg50px]]Shenzhou 6 (October 12–16, 2005)
Shenzhou 15 (November 29, 2022–June 3, 2023)191 d 2 h 58 mCommander of the first two-person Chinese crew in space.
Nie Haisheng聂海胜[[File:Nie Haisheng 2010 Somalia stamp.jpg50px]]Shenzhou 6 (October 12–16, 2005)
Shenzhou 10 (June 11–26, 2013)
Shenzhou 12 (June 17–September 17, 2021)111 d 14 h 13 mMember of the first two-person Chinese crew in space.
Jing Haipeng景海鹏[[File:Jing Haipeng.JPG50px]]Shenzhou 7 (September 25–28, 2008)
Shenzhou 9 (June 16–29, 2012)
Shenzhou 11 (October 17–November 18, 2016)
Shenzhou 16 (May 30, 2023–October 31, 2023)201 d 17 h 2 mMember 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[[File:Liu Boming.JPG50px]]Shenzhou 7 (September 25–28, 2008)
Shenzhou 12 (June 17–September 17, 2021)95 d 38 mMember of the first three-person Chinese crew in space.
Zhai Zhigang翟志刚[[File:Zhai Zhigang.JPG50px]]Shenzhou 7 (September 25–28, 2008)
Shenzhou 13 (October 15, 2021–April 16, 2022)185 d 5 h 59 mFirst Chinese national to walk in space. Commander of the first Chinese three-person crew in space.
Liu Wang刘旺[[File:LIU Wang CUHK 2012.JPG50px]]Shenzhou 9 (June 16–29, 2012)12 d 15 h 25 mMember of the first Chinese crew to achieve crewed spacecraft docking.
Liu Yang刘洋[[File:LIU Yang CUHK 2012.JPG50px]]Shenzhou 9 (June 16–29, 2012)
Shenzhou 14 (June 5–December 4, 2022)195 d 50 mFirst Chinese woman in space. Member of first Chinese crew to achieve crewed spacecraft docking.
Zhang Xiaoguang张晓光[[File:Zhang Xiaoguang.jpg50px]]Shenzhou 10 (June 11–26, 2013)14 d 14 h 29 mConducted crewed spacecraft rendezvous and docking.
Wang Yaping王亚平[[File:Wang Yaping at Shenzhou-13 launch.jpg50px]]Shenzhou 10 (June 11–26, 2013)
Shenzhou 13 (October 15, 2021–April 16, 2022)197 d 1 mSecond Chinese female taikonaut and the first Chinese woman to travel twice in space. First Chinese woman to walk in space.
Chen Dong陈冬[[File:航天员陈冬 Chen Dong.jpg50px]]Shenzhou 11 (October 17–November 18, 2016)
Shenzhou 14 (June 5–December 4, 2022)
Shenzhou 20 (April 24, 2025–present)418 d 11 h 14 mConducted multiple space experiments.
Tang Hongbo汤洪波[[File:Tang Hongbo.png50px]]Shenzhou 12 (June 17–September 17, 2021)
Shenzhou 17 (October 26, 2023-April 30, 2024)279 d 10 h 43 m
Ye Guangfu叶光富[[File:Ye Guangfu in 2021.jpg50px]]Shenzhou 13 (October 15, 2021–April 16, 2022)
Shenzhou 18 (April 25, 2024–November 4, 2024)374 d 13 h 54 m
Cai Xuzhe蔡旭哲[[File:航天员蔡旭哲 Cai Xuzhe.jpg50px]]Shenzhou 14 (June 5–December 4, 2022)
Shenzhou 19 (October 29, 2024–April 30, 2025)364 d 18 h 7 m
Deng Qingming邓清明[[File:Deng Qingming (cropped).jpg50px]]Shenzhou 15 (November 29, 2022–June 3, 2023)186 d 7 h 25 m
Zhang Lu张陆[[File:Zhang Lu (cropped).jpg50px]]Shenzhou 15 (November 29, 2022–June 3, 2023)
Shenzhou 21 (October 31, 2025–present)243 d 23 h 23 m
Zhu Yangzhu朱杨柱[[File:Zhu Yangzhu Shenzhou 16 朱杨柱 20230530 01.jpg50px]]Shenzhou 16 (May 30, 2023–October 31, 2023)153 d 22 h 41 m
Tang Shengjie唐胜杰[[File:神舟十七号 Shenzhou 17 唐胜杰 Tang Shengjie 20231026.jpg50px]]Shenzhou 17 (October 26, 2023–April 30, 2024)187 d 6 h 32 m
Jiang Xinlin江新林[[File:神舟十七号 Shenzhou 17 江新林 Jiang Xinlin 20231026.jpg50px]]Shenzhou 17 (October 26, 2023–April 30, 2024)187 d 6 h 32 m
Li Cong李聪[[File:李聪.png50px]]Shenzhou 18 (April 25, 2024–November 4, 2024)192 d 4 h 25 m
Li Guangsu李广苏[[File:李广苏.png50px]]Shenzhou 18 (April 25, 2024–November 4, 2024)192 d 4 h 25 m
Song Lingdong宋令东[[File:Song Lingdong.jpg50px]]Shenzhou 19 (October 29, 2024–April 30, 2025)182 d 8 h 42 m
Wang Haoze王浩泽[[File:Wang Haoze at Shenzhou-19 press conference.png50px]]Shenzhou 19 (October 29, 2024–April 30, 2025)182 d 8 h 42 m
Chen Zhongrui陈中瑞[[File:神二十航天员首次亮相2.png50px]]Shenzhou 20 (April 24, 2025–present)203 d 23 h 23 m
Wang Jie王杰[[File:神二十航天员首次亮相1.png50px]]Shenzhou 20 (April 24, 2025–present)203 d 23 h 23 m
Wu Fei武飞--Shenzhou 21 (October 31, 2025–present)57 d 15 h 10 m

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)
  • Wu Jie (mission: backup commander Shenzhou 6; retired in 2014)

;;January 1998

  • Chen Quan (mission: backup commander Shenzhou 7; retired in 2014)
  • 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)
  • 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)

;Group 2 (March 2010)

  • 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); commander Shenzhou 21)

;Group 3 (October 2020) 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 2025, 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)
  • Wu Fei (mission: Shenzhou 21)
  • Zhang Hongzhang (mission: Shenzhou 21)

;Group 4 (June 2024) On October 2022, 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.

References

References

  1. "Shuguang 1".
  2. (2003-10-17). "中国航天员诞生记". Xinhua.net.
  3. "Shenzhou 5".
  4. "Shenzhou 7".
  5. Jonathan Amos. (18 June 2012). "Shenzhou-9 docks with Tiangong-1". BBC News.
  6. (2021-11-08). "Shenzhou-13 Crew Conducts First Extravehicular Activities, Wang Yaping Becomes First Female Chinese Astronaut to Spacewalk".
  7. "China to send its first civilian astronaut into space".
  8. (2024-10-29). "神十九乘组王浩泽，本硕毕业于东南大学，系我国目前唯一的女航天飞行工程师".
  9. (2018-01-24). "中国航天员:矢志飞天 初心不改".
  10. [http://www.spacefacts.de/groups/english/china2.htm China 2], spacefacts.de
  11. Space.com, [http://www.space.com/13853-china-secret-astronaut-names-revealed.html "Names of China's Secret Astronauts Revealed by Autographed Envelope"], Robert Z. Pearlman, 7 December 2011
  12. "18 picked for nation's 3rd generation of astronauts". China Daily.
  13. (4 October 2022). "China begins recruitment for 4th batch of astronauts". Space.com.
  14. Jones, Andrew. (11 June 2024). "China selects new batch of astronauts with an eye on the moon". spacenews.com.
  15. Jones, Andrew. (29 October 2024). "China selects 2 proposals for crewed moon rover". spacenews.com.
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