[Nokinside]

Taikonaut is the word sometimes used for Chinese astronauts in English language journals and Taiwan and Hong Kong. It's mix of Mandarin and Greek (naut = sailor in Greek). Chinese call their astronauts hang tian yuan.Indian astronauts will be vyomanauts.

Astronaut is still valid name for crew member of a spacecraft in any nation.

[xeroaura]

Is taiko short for tai kong (太空) = space in Mandarin in this case?

[kfihihc]

Yes.