Author Topic: The China Taikonauts Thread  (Read 75407 times)

Offline Phillip Clark

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2616
  • Hastings, England
  • Liked: 557
  • Likes Given: 1078
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #40 on: 10/13/2015 10:33 am »
Tony, this might sound crazy but might the Chinese consider a female commander for a flight to the station scheduled to begin in 2018?
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going insane - WJ.

Offline tonyq

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 520
  • Isle of Man
  • Liked: 67
  • Likes Given: 104
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #41 on: 10/13/2015 01:05 pm »
Tony, this might sound crazy but might the Chinese consider a female commander for a flight to the station scheduled to begin in 2018?

Phil, as we all know, it is difficult to try to guess what the Chinese might do, but it does seem to me that by 2018 or so, they will have very few 'veterans' who are under the age of 50, but that number will include the two women.

I suspect that Liu Yang will be regarded as a 'national treasure' and therefore not likely to be assigned again, but Wang Yaping is a different case, and I would have thought that she will be eligible for consideration as a future Shenzhou commander. Probably not for SZ-11, but maybe once the CSS is launched and being visited regularly - maybe twice a year from 2018 onwards. 

At the time of SZ-10, it emerged that Wang had trained to dock SZ-10, and although she didn't do this in orbit, it did imply that she might already have been on a different training and development regime to Liu Yang.

« Last Edit: 10/13/2015 01:08 pm by tonyq »

Offline ZachS09

  • Space Savant
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8406
  • Roanoke, TX
  • Liked: 2344
  • Likes Given: 2060
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #42 on: 10/16/2015 06:22 pm »
Thanks, tonyq.
Liftoff for St. Jude's! Go Dragon, Go Falcon, Godspeed Inspiration4!

Offline tonyq

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 520
  • Isle of Man
  • Liked: 67
  • Likes Given: 104
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #43 on: 02/22/2016 01:22 pm »
With the indications in other threads about a possible SZ-12 visit to TG-2, in addition to the long planned SZ-11, it is perhaps time to bump this thread and stimulate a bit of crewing discussion and speculation.

For SZ-9/10 campaign, the Chinese selected a pool of nine taikonauts and formed them into three crews. There were three veterans who were the commanders and they have since said that it is a requirement that each crew includes an experienced crew member.

They have also said in the past, and Yang Liwei himself has said this, that no one can fly aged over 50 years. This is aligned to PLAAF pilot age limits.

If these parameters still apply, and there is no reason to think that they don't, then they will shape the crewing options, to a very significant degree.

Most of the 1998 selection are now over 50 with only Liu Wang and Zhang Xiaoguan having flown, and still being under 50, by the end of 2016. So it seems a reasonable bet that they will be two of the commanders.

The third commander spot is trickier. Liu Boming who was back-up for SZ-10 is 50 later this year. Will he still be available for assignment, or is he out of the picture? If he is not available, it leaves only the two women, and of these Liu Yang seems unlikely to fly again, as she is a 'national treasure' and had a child in 2014. This leaves only Wang Yaping.

Assuming that they are all fit and qualified, the five rookie men from 2010 should logically form the bulk of the cohort, which leaves us one short of the nine. Ideally they need to fly several of these guys over the TG-2 campaign to generate a reasonable flow of younger future commanders for the CSS era.

If either of the rookie back-up crew from SZ-10 (Deng Qingmin and Pan Zhanchun) are still under 50, then they could be part of the six rookies and give us the nine required.

Discuss!

Offline Phillip Clark

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2616
  • Hastings, England
  • Liked: 557
  • Likes Given: 1078
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #44 on: 02/22/2016 01:39 pm »
I wasn't aware that the Shenzhou 10 back-ups had been confirmed by the Chinese.
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going insane - WJ.

Offline tonyq

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 520
  • Isle of Man
  • Liked: 67
  • Likes Given: 104
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #45 on: 02/22/2016 02:34 pm »
I wasn't aware that the Shenzhou 10 back-ups had been confirmed by the Chinese.

Yes, Phil, you are right, although I think there were enough sources who gave these names at the time, and they were entirely logical, for us to be fairly happy that they were the right trio. It is not clear why the Chinese didn't name them when all the previous back-up crews were totally visible.   

Online Nordren

  • Full Member
  • *
  • Posts: 130
  • Finland
  • Liked: 62
  • Likes Given: 109
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #46 on: 02/28/2016 08:23 pm »
The announcement of the launch schedule for Tiangong-2, Shenzhou-11 and Tianzhou-1 by Xinhua says SZ-11 will take just TWO taikonauts to TG-2. So, a longer stay in orbit for the crew compared with SZ-9 & 10 missions?

Offline Steven Pietrobon

  • Member
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 39215
  • Adelaide, Australia
    • Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive
  • Liked: 32735
  • Likes Given: 8178
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #47 on: 02/29/2016 12:44 am »
The announcement of the launch schedule for Tiangong-2, Shenzhou-11 and Tianzhou-1 by Xinhua says SZ-11 will take just TWO taikonauts to TG-2. So, a longer stay in orbit for the crew compared with SZ-9 & 10 missions?

It certainly looks like it. The article says the taikonauts will be performing a "medium-term stay".

"During the process, China will verify key technologies including cargo transportation, on-orbit propellant resupply, astronauts' medium-term stay, as well as conduct space science and application experiments on a relatively large scale, the spokesperson said."
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline TALsite

  • Member
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 453
  • Spain
  • Liked: 114
  • Likes Given: 34
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #48 on: 03/01/2016 01:08 pm »
From Go Taikonauts!

http://www.go-taikonauts.com/en/chinese-space-news/1263-next-manned-chinese-space-mission-is-planned-to-last-one-month

Quote
Next manned Chinese space mission is planned to last one month

The plan is to have them stay inside the new lab for 30 days, doubling the previous Chinese record for the longest manned space mission. Nie Haisheng, chief of China's astronaut brigade, says staying in space for a longer period of time comes with a number of challenges.

And from
http://english.cri.cn/12394/2016/03/01/3746s918563.htm

Nie Haiseng has also said

Quote
...in the future, our astronauts are going to have to complete a lot of tasks during the space walks, as they will have to deal with issues such as equipment transfers, installation, repairs, maintenance and disassembling different components. We also have plans to carry out some scientific experiments outside the space capsule.

IMO I think EVA plans will come with the SZ-12 flight (and 3 crewmen?).
And with EVA plans, maybe Liu Boming would be a good CDR because he has also experience on EVA from his previous SZ-7 flight.

Offline Olaf

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3124
  • Germany
  • Liked: 1481
  • Likes Given: 455
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #49 on: 05/15/2016 07:50 am »
https://twitter.com/ESA_CAVES/status/541648706484064256

Here a photo with Ye Guangfu and Chen Dong.
Maybe someone at ESA has some more.

Offline tonyq

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 520
  • Isle of Man
  • Liked: 67
  • Likes Given: 104
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #50 on: 05/15/2016 10:57 pm »
https://twitter.com/ESA_CAVES/status/541648706484064256

Here a photo with Ye Guangfu and Chen Dong.
Maybe someone at ESA has some more.


Based on their policy of the last 18 odd years, of keeping unflown taikonauts out of photographs, someone has slipped up here. As you ask, has anyone at ESA got anymore, particularly the remaining three 2010 men?

Offline tonyq

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 520
  • Isle of Man
  • Liked: 67
  • Likes Given: 104
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #51 on: 06/26/2016 07:29 am »
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Caves/Underground_astronauts_preparing_for_space


Chinese taikonaut Ye Guangfu is to take part in the ESA CAVES project. His back-up for this assignment is Chen Dong. This is the first time that these two men, from the 2010 selection, have been officially named/identified.

It also suggests that we can safely remove them from being involved in the SZ-11 crew. Will one of the remaining three 2010 group fly on that mission?

Online Satori

  • Moderator
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 14425
  • Campo do Geręs - Portugal
  • Liked: 1968
  • Likes Given: 1156

Offline SMS

  • Regular
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3213
    • Astronauts & their spaceflights
  • Liked: 2164
  • Likes Given: 249
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #53 on: 08/31/2016 08:47 pm »
Quote
ChinaSpaceflight ‏@cnspaceflight
王亚平

Wang Yaping

1.09 at 8 CCTV1?
« Last Edit: 08/31/2016 09:13 pm by SMS »
---
SMS ;-).

Offline ZachS09

  • Space Savant
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8406
  • Roanoke, TX
  • Liked: 2344
  • Likes Given: 2060
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #54 on: 08/31/2016 09:08 pm »
Is that taikonaut Wang Yaping?
Liftoff for St. Jude's! Go Dragon, Go Falcon, Godspeed Inspiration4!

Offline tonyq

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 520
  • Isle of Man
  • Liked: 67
  • Likes Given: 104
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #55 on: 09/02/2016 09:07 pm »
Is that taikonaut Wang Yaping?

Yes, it certainly is. This photo is connected to recent TV show she was involved in.

I have not seen the badge above her name tag before. Could this be the 'wings' awarded to Chinese astronauts who have flown in space?

At the risk of being called sexist, I'm going to say what everyone is thinking, that she's a stunning looking girl  ;)

Online zubenelgenubi

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11163
  • Arc to Arcturus, then Spike to Spica
  • Sometimes it feels like Trantor in the time of Hari Seldon
  • Liked: 7393
  • Likes Given: 72424
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #56 on: 09/02/2016 10:27 pm »
Question:
Have any of the taikonauts made appearances or presentations in the United States?

(I know there is currently federal law restricting NASA from "bilateral activity" with PRC institutions.  NASA is not the whole of the United States of America.)

Thank you!
« Last Edit: 09/02/2016 10:28 pm by zubenelgenubi »
Support your local planetarium! (COVID-panic and forward: Now more than ever.) My current avatar is saying "i wants to go uppies!" Yes, there are God-given rights. Do you wish to gainsay the Declaration of Independence?

Online Hobbes-22

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 941
  • Acme Engineering
    • Acme Engineering
  • Liked: 587
  • Likes Given: 485
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #57 on: 09/03/2016 08:23 am »
Do we have to use the term 'taikonaut'? The Chinese space agency doesn't, they use 'astronaut' in their English-language communications.
With the proliferation of spaceflight, it'll be untenable to use country-specific titles for every country's spaceflight personnel, so we might as well start calling them all astronauts now.

Offline Phillip Clark

  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2616
  • Hastings, England
  • Liked: 557
  • Likes Given: 1078
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #58 on: 09/03/2016 08:27 am »
Do we have to use the term 'taikonaut'? The Chinese space agency doesn't, they use 'astronaut' in their English-language communications.
With the proliferation of spaceflight, it'll be untenable to use country-specific titles for every country's spaceflight personnel, so we might as well start calling them all astronauts now.

Since the first man in space was a COSMONAUT then surely that should be the universal term for a space flier if you wish to impose such a term.
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going insane - WJ.

Online Hobbes-22

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 941
  • Acme Engineering
    • Acme Engineering
  • Liked: 587
  • Likes Given: 485
Re: The China Taikonauts Thread
« Reply #59 on: 09/03/2016 08:58 am »
I think we're stuck with astronaut/cosmonaut as those are too entrenched by now. For other countries we can do better.

Tags: Taikonauts 
 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
1