First Civilian Astronaut in Space
Chinese taikonauts, including the country’s first non-military civilian astronaut, are headed to the Tianhe module of China’s space station for scientific research. A camera on board their spacecraft showed them saluting before takeoff.
Gui Haichao, the 36-year-old payload specialist assigned to the Shenzhou-16 mission, is responsible for making sure that the mission’s equipment functions properly alongside participating in and collecting scientific data. Gui is a professor at the University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in Beijing, and during his free time, he enjoys tinkering with vintage motorbikes.
Space Station Operational since January
Tiangong, China’s space station, has been operational since the beginning of the year, and the Shenzhou-16 mission’s crew will replace the station’s current crew. China plans to continue expanding the station in the future. China’s communist-led government oversees the country’s space program and the People’s Liberation Army, as well as any civilian personnel, including Gui, that are part of space missions.
Start of the carrier rocket of the type “Long March 2F”
China’s Space Expansion Plans
Although Chinese space flight remains the purview of the military, China aims to become a leading space-faring nation quickly in line with countries like Russia and the United States. Welcoming more astronauts into space will be an integral part of this process, according to astronomical experts’ estimation.
The China National Space Administration plans to launch a manned mission to the moon by 2030. Additionally, the next mission to the Tianhe module of the space station will occur in November. Whether another non-military astronaut, similar to Gui, will be present on the crew has not been announced.
