Yang Liwei

space exploration · China · astronaut · pilot

First Chinese in space. On October 15, 2003, Yang Liwei blasted off aboard Shenzhou 5, making him the first Chinese citizen ever to travel to space. This was a huge moment for China's space program.

Military test pilot. Before becoming a taikonaut (that's what Chinese astronauts are called), Yang Liwei was a skilled military pilot in the People's Liberation Army. His training as a pilot prepared him perfectly for flying spacecraft.

Orbited Earth 14 times. During his mission, Yang Liwei circled the Earth 14 times over about 21 hours in space. He orbited high above the planet and saw views that few humans had ever seen before.

Became a major general. Yang Liwei's successful space mission made him a national hero in China, and he was promoted to the rank of major general in the military. He inspired millions of people to dream about space exploration.