The third batch of Chinese astronauts will join the space station crew one after another and gradually become the main force.

CTOnews.com November 28 news, Shenzhou 15 manned mission press conference held today in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, to inform the mission related information.

Ji Qiming, spokesman for China's manned space engineering and assistant director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, said that China completed the selection of the third batch of 18 reserve astronauts in October 2020, including 7 pilots, 7 flight engineers and 4 payload experts.

According to introduction, according to the astronaut training program, the third batch of astronauts need to carry out 8 categories, nearly 100 items, more than 400 subjects of training, after more than two years of hard training, has completed all basic subjects and most professional technical subjects of training content. According to the follow-up mission planning of the space station application and development phase, some of the third batch of astronauts have begun targeted training for follow-up missions. In the near future, they will continue to join the flight crew of the space station mission and gradually become the main force.

CTOnews.com understands that in order to meet the needs of the follow-up development of manned space engineering, the selection of the fourth batch of preparatory astronauts in China has been fully launched in September 2022, and it is planned to select 12 to 14 preparatory astronauts and select payload experts in Hong Kong and Macao for the first time. Preparatory astronaut selection is divided into three stages: primary selection, re-selection and selection. The primary selection stage is currently under way.