I can identify the following: ...
Between Yang Liwei and Matthias Maurer is astronaut trainer Huang Weifen.
Huang Weifen, deputy research chief of the Astronaut Center of China, previously said that recruitment and training of China's third generation of astronauts will start this year.
The field of candidates will expand from Chinese Air Force pilots to include space industry engineers. All 21 of China's first and second generation astronauts were Air Force pilots.
I can identify the following:
BOTTOM ROW (left to right)
Chen Dong
Wang Yaping
Liu Wang
Liu Boming
Samantha Cristoforetti
Yang Liwei
[Unknown] (from China)
Matthias Maurer
[Unknown] (from ESA)
[Unknown] (from ESA)
Ye Guangfu
Zhang Xiaoguang
The other 11 taikonauts in the top row are unrecognizable to me. Who knows? Maybe they might consist of the third selection of taikonauts.
As noted upthread, the 3rd group has not yet been selected. There's no reason to assume that they second row has "11 taikonauts" or three or even any: those folks could all be training or support personnel.
And to Olaf, whose posts I enjoy, I don't think it's useful to conclude that the veterans taking part in this training are automatically active. They could have become training supervisors.
And further... some of these reports claim that there were "16 astronauts" taking part in these exercises, but it sure looks like nine total to me -- 7 China, 2 ESA.
Michael Cassutt
And further... some of these reports claim that there were "16 astronauts" taking part in these exercises, but it sure looks like nine total to me -- 7 China, 2 ESA.
They are talking about six groups with three participants, 16 Chinese and two Europeans.
The first group was shown here
https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/894279066433585153.
The second and third group was not shown, or I have not seen them.
And the last three groups could be the nine astronauts shown on the picture above.
But this is only my suggestion.
As noted upthread, the 3rd group has not yet been selected. There's no reason to assume that they second row has "11 taikonauts" or three or even any: those folks could all be training or support personnel.
And to Olaf, whose posts I enjoy, I don't think it's useful to conclude that the veterans taking part in this training are automatically active. They could have become training supervisors.
And further... some of these reports claim that there were "16 astronauts" taking part in these exercises, but it sure looks like nine total to me -- 7 China, 2 ESA.
Michael Cassutt
I'd agree with Michael's comments. All the commentary, so far, from China, suggests that the third group has not yet been selected, so it would be wrong to conclude that any of the unidentified people are taikonauts.
Furthermore, the missing three men from the 2010 selection do not appear anywhere in the photos of the actual exercises, which implies that the Chinese have deliberately kept them out of sight and not involved them. Same with the unflown guys from 1998.
This was largely a PR stunt, and an exercise in practical collaboration, a rather than mission related training, and it seems the Chinese wheeled out all their 'big guns' to take part, but I doubt many of these participants are realistic contenders to fly to the CSS.
Finally, the 'missing' taikonaut in the sixteen may well have been an instructor. The Russians have done this for decades for both winter and water survival training exercises.
Here is an interview with Matthias Maurer
http://gbtimes.com/19572A short summary from him about this training
We had in total nine astronauts in training during the two weeks that we were there. My colleague and I, Samantha Cristoforetti, an Italian astronaut, were the two Europeans. And then we had seven Taikonauts, or Chinese astronauts. And in total we formed three teams of three each. For example, Yang Liwei was among team one with Wang Yaping, the second Chinese female astronaut and Zhang Xiaoguang. Team two was Liu Boming, Ye Guangfu and myself. And team three was Liu Wang, Chen Dong and Samantha Cristoforetti.
... Three other teams of astronauts also did this training before we were there, so in total there were 18 astronauts trained.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-01/22/c_136914753.htmNo space for China's stay-at-home taikonauts
First information of members of back-up crews of Shenzhou 11 and Shenzhou 10.
And first information of retirement dates for taikonauts.
Deng is a taikonaut who has never been to space. He was backup to commander Jing Haipeng in Shenzhou-11 mission.
Deng, 52, was a backup crew member for both Shenzhou-10 and Shenzhou-11 missions. Of China's first batch of 14 trainees for the space program, six never made it onto the crew, including Deng.
Five of his peers retired in 2014 without a space flight, making Deng the last man standing, with his feet on the ground.
"We should always remember their names -- Li Qinglong, Wu Jie, Chen Quan, Zhao Chuandong, and Pan Zhanchun," says Jing Haipeng.
Google translation
THE CREWS ARE PREPARING FOR A FLIGHT TO THE NEW ORBITAL STATION OF THE PRC
The Taikonauts are training in a model of the Shenzhou spacecraft. In the photo from left to right: Chen Dong, Liu Wang and Liu Yang. Everyone has experience in space flight.
The link doesn´t work, but it is interesting.
from:
https://www.weibo.com/6528178851/GixXzcixc?from=page_1005056528178851_profile&wvr=6&mod=weibotime&type=commentgoogle translation:
Our country has successfully organized the 2018 annual astronaut desert field survival training! On May 26th, 15 astronauts who participated in field survival training in the Badan Jaran Desert all returned to Beijing, marking the successful completion of the 19-day training. This is the first time that China has organized field training for astronaut in desert areas in the landing area.
It is understood that the astronaut desert field survival training is based on the annual training plan...
That link only gives this image.
