Li Cong (taikonaut) explained

Li Cong (; born October 1989) is a Chinese fighter pilot and People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC) taikonaut.^{[1] [2]} Li launched on the Shenzhou 18 mission to the Tiangong space station.

Biography

Li Cong was born in a rural village in Fengfeng Mining District in Handan, Hebei in October 1989.^[3] His family moved to the mining area when he was 5 years old.^{[4] [5] [6]}

He applied for recruitment of Air Force Aviation University when he was in third year of high school. He graduated from the People's Liberation Army Air Force Aviation University.^{[5] [7] [8] [9]} He was enlisted in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in September 2009,, and joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in June 2011.^{[5] [10] [11] [12]}

Li once served as the lieutenant colonel of a flying brigade of the Air Force Aviation Brigade and was second class pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force.^{[13] [14] [15]} He participated in the astronaut selection in May 2018 and was selected as a fourth grade astronaut into the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps in September 2020.^{[5] [16]}

In 2024, he was selected as a crew member of Shenzhou 18.^{[17] [18]}

See also

• List of Chinese astronauts
• Tiangong space station

Notes and References

1. News: Astronauts of China's Shenzhou XVIII mission meet press . 24 April 2024 . Chinadaily.com . 24 April 2024.
2. News: China unveils Shenzhou-18 crew for space station mission . 24 April 2024 . xinhuanet.com . 24 April 2024.
3. News: https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_27147225 . zh:明天，河北小伙李聪，出征太空！ . thepaper . 24 April 2024 . 24 April 2024 . zh.
4. News: Zhang Xiaopei (Chinese: 张晓培) . https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_27146317 . zh:徐州籍航天员李广苏父亲喊话儿子：放心执行任务 . thepaper . 24 April 2024 . 24 April 2024 . zh.
5. News: Zhan Kang (Chinese: 占康) . https://news.bjd.com.cn/2024/04/24/10755486.shtml . zh:神十八航天员李广苏：越努力，越幸运 . bjd.com.cn . 24 April 2024 . 24 April 2024 . zh.
6. Web site: 李聪：期待首飞完美呈现 身临其境去感受太空家园 – 时政 – 中工网 . 2024-04-24 . www.workercn.cn.
7. Web site: Astronauts of China's Shenzhou-18 mission meet press-Xinhua . 2024-04-24 . english.news.cn.
8. Web site: 2024-04-24 . China to send fresh crew to Tiangong space station » Borneo Bulletin Online . 2024-04-24 . China to send fresh crew to Tiangong space station . en-US.
9. Web site: China unveils Shenzhou-18 crew for space station mission-Xinhua . 2024-04-24 . english.news.cn.
10. Web site: China unveils Shenzhou-18 crew for space station mission- China.org.cn . 2024-04-24 . www.china.org.cn.
11. Web site: 李聪：农村娃拿到飞天"船票"——中国青年网 . 2024-04-24 . t.m.youth.cn.
12. News: Qiu Lifang (Chinese: 邱丽芳) . http://www.xinhuanet.com/tech/20240424/e141a8fbad89407db7f777d1112a72dd/c.html . zh:神十八航天员李聪简历 . news.cn . 24 April 2024 . 26 April 2024 . Chinese: 李聪，男，汉族，籍贯河北邯郸，学士学位。1989年10月出生，2009年9月入伍，2011年6月加入中国共产党，现为中国人民解放军航天员大队四级航天员，空军中校军衔。 . zh.
13. Web site: 2024-04-24 . China reveals Shenzhou-18 crew for next space station mission . 2024-04-24 . South China Morning Post . en.
14. Web site: China to launch Shenzhou XVIII crewed spaceship on April 25 . 2024-04-24 . www.xhby.net.
15. Web site: China to launch Shenzhou XVIII crewed spaceship on April 25 . 2024-04-24 . m.cnhubei.com.
16. Web site: China to launch Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship on April 25 english.scio.gov.cn . 2024-04-24 . english.scio.gov.cn.
17. Web site: Wong . Andy . Mistreanu . Simina . China to send three astronauts to Tiangong space station, part of its ambitious program . 2024-04-24 . . en.
18. Web site: BAKER . GREG . 2024-04-24 . Astronauts for China's Shenzhou-18 space mission (L-R) Li Guangsu, Ye Guangfu, and Li Cong leave a press conference . 2024-04-24 . Hiawatha World Online . en.