The Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft is ready to depart and may welcome non pilots. According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, the combination of the Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft and the Long March 2F Yao-16 carrier rocket was transferred to the launch area on the 22nd and is scheduled to be launched at an appropriate time in the near future.

On May 22nd, the Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft and the Long March 2F Yao-16 carrier rocket combination were in transit. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)

According to the 2023 China Manned Space Mission List, after the launch of Shenzhou 16 this month, Shenzhou 17 will also be launched in October. During this period, there is a particularly noteworthy focus, which is that the third batch of Chinese astronauts will step onto the stage of the space station. Astronauts from the Shenzhou Sixteen and Seventeen crew will have two types of personnel: flight engineers and payload experts.

The third batch of reserve astronauts will be selected in 2020

According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office on October 1, 2020, the selection of the third batch of reserve astronauts for China's manned space engineering has recently ended. A total of 18 reserve astronauts (including 1 female) have been selected, including 7 space pilots, 7 space flight engineers, and 4 payload experts. They will become new members of China's astronaut team.

It is reported that in order to meet the needs of China's space station engineering missions, the third batch of reserve astronauts has added two categories, space flight engineers and payload experts, to the foundation of space pilots. Among them, space pilots and space flight engineers are mainly responsible for directly manipulating and managing spacecraft, as well as conducting related technical tests. The payload expert is mainly responsible for the in orbit operation of space science experimental payloads.

Space pilots are selected from active pilots in the Air Force, space 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 manned space engineering, space science research, and applications.

Or * * * may welcome "astronauts" from non pilot backgrounds

At present, the crew members of the flight crew carrying out the Shenzhou 16 mission have not been announced yet. According to analysis, it is highly likely that the three person formation will still be retained.

According to reports, since the successful launch of Shenzhou V, China has sent 16 and 26 astronauts to space by Shenzhou 15. The first batch of 9 astronauts and the second batch of 7 astronauts have all achieved spaceflight. It is expected that the Shenzhou Sixteen crew will continue to "lead the new with the old", led by the older generation of astronauts, and a third batch of astronauts will also appear, which will be one of the highlights of this mission.

If the astronauts of the Shenzhou Sixteen and Seventeen crew will have two types of personnel: flight engineers and payload experts, it means that there will be a second "astronaut" from non pilot backgrounds entering space to carry out missions.

The payload expert does not require a pilot background

According to the introduction, payload experts are a type of task classification for astronauts, referring to researchers who conduct scientific and applied research experiments in space stations. Simply put, payload experts are astronauts who participate in space experiment operations. With the deepening of space science and technology activities, space science and technology activities are becoming more specialized, leading to the emergence of payload experts. The payload expert does not require a pilot background, but must have received professional training and rich operational experience in the fields of science, medicine, engineering, etc., mainly responsible for the operation of relevant experimental payloads.

It is reported that different countries have different names for astronauts participating in space experiment operations at different stages. For example, the United States referred to them as "scientist astronauts" during the Apollo moon landing phase and "payload experts" during the space shuttle phase; Russia is referred to as a "research astronaut" during the Mir space station phase.

What are the requirements for selecting "payload experts"

On October 2, 2022, the China Manned Space Engineering Office announced that the selection of the fourth batch of reserve astronauts in China has been launched recently to meet the needs of subsequent manned space missions. A total of 12 to 14 reserve astronauts were selected this time, including around 2 payload experts.

According to reports, the candidate for payload experts needs to have a doctoral degree in the relevant professional field and have worked in the relevant industry for no less than 3 years, aged between 30 and 45 years. Load experts also need to meet certain physical requirements, with males having a height of 162 to 175 centimeters and females having a height of 160 to 175 centimeters. Astronauts from different backgrounds