Yang Liwei is China’s first astronaut and serves as deputy chief designer of the China Manned Space Agency, according to Global Times.
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He became the first Chinese astronaut in space during the Shenzhou-5 mission in October 2003, as reported by Bastille Post.
Where Yang Liwei Is Now
Yang Liwei serves as deputy chief designer of the China Manned Space Agency, as reported by Global Times.
- Current role: Deputy chief designer (Global Times)
- Organization: China Manned Space Agency (Global Times)
- Known for: Becoming China’s first astronaut during the Shenzhou-5 mission in October 2003 (Bastille Post)
- Recent news: Attended and spoke at the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, Türkiye (Global Times)
Career History
Yang Liwei became the first Chinese astronaut in space during the Shenzhou-5 mission in October 2003, according to Bastille Post.
He is China’s first astronaut and serves as deputy chief designer of the China Manned Space Agency, as reported by Global Times.
Space Station and International Cooperation
Yang Liwei attended and spoke at the 77th International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, Türkiye, where he stated that China’s space station will become a global research platform for scientists worldwide (Global Times). He noted that China hopes to engage in exchanges and seek cooperation with other countries in scientific research, astronaut training, providing flight opportunities, and science education.
According to Global Times, Yang Liwei stated that two Pakistani astronaut candidates undergoing joint training with Chinese counterparts have performed exceptionally well, and that the space station will welcome its first foreign astronaut on board in the second half of the year. He stated that one Pakistani astronaut will serve as a payload specialist on a short-duration spaceflight mission (Global Times).
Lunar Exploration Program and Research Station
Yang Liwei stated that China is advancing its crewed lunar exploration program with the aim of landing Chinese astronauts on the moon before 2030, and stated that China plans to build a lunar research station (Global Times).
He reported that the Long March 10 rocket, the Mengzhou spacecraft, and the Lanyue lunar lander have passed key tests (Bastille Post).
Yang Liwei stated that China welcomes all parties to participate in the construction of an international lunar scientific research station (Global Times), and stated that China welcomes participation from all global partners to share science, data, and opportunities to explore the unknown (Bastille Post).