Yang Liwei | SpaceNext50 | Encyclopedia Britannica

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</nav> <nav class="megamenu"> <div class="megamenu-panel" id="megamenu-1"> <div class="container"> <div class="mega-column mega-feature"> <h4>The New Space Race is On </h4> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/the-new-space-race/" class="megamenu-feature"> <div class="megamenu-thumb" style="background-image: url('https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/08/spacerace-hero-1-300x300.jpg');"></div> <div class="megamenu-excerpt"> <h3>The New Space Race</h3> <p>The new space race isn't between a couple of countries but among several players, particularly the fast-growing economies of China, India, and Japan.</p> <span>See what countries are in›</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="mega-column mega-feature"> <h4>Chandrayaan</h4> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/chandrayaan-1/" class="megamenu-feature"> <div class="megamenu-thumb" style="background-image: url('https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/chandrayaan-hero-300x300.jpg');"></div> <div class="megamenu-excerpt"> <h3>Chandrayaan</h3> <p>Chandrayaan-1 is an Indian lunar space probe that used reflected radiation to prospect for various elements, minerals, and ice.</p> <span>Learn more about Indian space probe</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="mega-column mega-feature"> <h4>After the Moon Landing</h4> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/after-moon-landing-timeline/" class="megamenu-feature"> <div class="megamenu-thumb" style="background-image: url('https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/06/5-300x300.jpg');"></div> <div class="megamenu-excerpt"> <h3>After the Moon Landing Timeline</h3> <p>What happened after the Moon landing and after Apollo 11? What steps did the world take?</p> <span>View the Timeline</span> </div> </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="megamenu-panel" id="megamenu-2"> <div class="container"> <div class="mega-column mega-feature"> <h4>Architect of Chinese space program</h4> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/qian-xuesen/" class="megamenu-feature"> <div class="megamenu-thumb" style="background-image: url('https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/qian-xuesen-hero-300x300.jpg');"></div> <div class="megamenu-excerpt"> <h3>Qian Xuesen</h3> <p>Qian Xuesen was a Chinese engineer and research scientist widely recognized as the “father of Chinese aerospace” for his role in establishing China’s ballistic missile program.</p> <span>Discover this engineer pioneer</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="mega-column mega-feature"> <h4>Paving the way for women</h4> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/valentina-tereshkova/" class="megamenu-feature"> <div class="megamenu-thumb" style="background-image: url('https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/3000x1170-Space-Quiz-Heros-5-300x300.jpg');"></div> <div class="megamenu-excerpt"> <h3>Valentina Tereshkova</h3> <p>Valentina Tereshkova, Soviet cosmonaut, was the first woman to travel into space.</p> <span>Read about the first </span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="mega-column mega-feature"> <h4>First Chinese in Space</h4> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/yang-liwei/" class="megamenu-feature"> <div class="megamenu-thumb" style="background-image: url('https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/09/liwei-hero2-300x300.jpg');"></div> <div class="megamenu-excerpt"> <h3>Yang Liwei</h3> <p>Yang Liwei is a Chinese astronaut and the first person sent into space by the Chinese space program.</p> <span>Read more about the first from China</span> </div> </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="megamenu-panel" id="megamenu-3"> <div class="container"> <div class="mega-column mega-feature"> <h4>Extraordinary Leaps </h4> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/spacex/" class="megamenu-feature"> <div class="megamenu-thumb" style="background-image: url('https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/06/spacex-hero-300x300.jpg');"></div> <div class="megamenu-excerpt"> <h3>SpaceX</h3> <p>SpaceX is an American aerospace company founded in 2002 that helped usher in the era of commercial spaceflight.</p> <span>Learn more</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="mega-column mega-feature"> <h4>What is Space Tourism</h4> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/space-tourism/" class="megamenu-feature"> <div class="megamenu-thumb" style="background-image: url('https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/space-tourism-hero-300x300.jpg');"></div> <div class="megamenu-excerpt"> <h3>Space Tourism</h3> <p>Space tourism is recreational space travel, either on established government-owned vehicles or on a growing number of vehicles fielded by private companies. </p> <span>Would you go into space</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="mega-column mega-feature"> <h4>What it means to send a signal</h4> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/satellite-telecommunications/" class="megamenu-feature"> <div class="megamenu-thumb" style="background-image: url('https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/3000x1170-Space-Quiz-Heros-14-300x300.jpg');"></div> <div class="megamenu-excerpt"> <h3>Satellite Telecommunications</h3> <p>Engineers developed a design for a satellite that would operate in geostationary orbit. </p> <span>Read about its origin</span> </div> </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="megamenu-panel" id="megamenu-4"> <div class="container"> <div class="mega-column mega-feature"> <h4>Space Exploration</h4> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/space-exploration-quiz/" class="megamenu-feature"> <div class="megamenu-thumb" style="background-image: url('https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/space-exploration-quiz-hero-300x300.jpg');"></div> <div class="megamenu-excerpt"> <h3>Space Exploration Quiz</h3> <p>Was Australia the last continent to be discovered? Who was the first human to orbit Earth? From treks through the South Pole to launches into space, test your knowledge of human exploration in this quiz.</p> <span>Take Your Best Shot</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="mega-column mega-feature"> <h4>Moon Vs Asteroid</h4> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/moon-vs-asteroid-quiz/" class="megamenu-feature"> <div class="megamenu-thumb" style="background-image: url('https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/moon-v-asteroid-quiz-hero-300x300.jpg');"></div> <div class="megamenu-excerpt"> <h3>This or That? Moon vs. Asteroid</h3> <p>So you’ve got the planets down pat—let’s see if you know your moons. Are these astronomical bodies moons or asteroids?</p> <span>What do you know?</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="mega-column mega-feature"> <h4>Small Step, Giant Leap</h4> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/small-step-giant-leap-fact-or-fiction/" class="megamenu-feature"> <div class="megamenu-thumb" style="background-image: url('https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/small-step-quiz-hero-300x300.jpg');"></div> <div class="megamenu-excerpt"> <h3>Small Step, Giant Leap: Fact or Fiction?</h3> <p>Is the Moon the only object in the solar system to have craters? Take a "giant leap"—or a "small step"—and learn more about the Moon in this quiz.</p> <span>Test your knowledge</span> </div> </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="megamenu-panel" id="megamenu-5"> <div class="container"> <div class="mega-column mega-info"> <h4> Did you know?</h4> <div class="megamenu-ghost"> <div class="megamenu-excerpt"> <p>An estimated 650 Million people watched Armstrong’s televised image and heard his voice describe the event as he took “…one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” on July 20, 1969.</p> <p><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-1078 size-thumbnail" src="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/moon-landing-hero-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/moon-landing-hero-150x150.jpg 150w, https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/moon-landing-hero-300x300.jpg 300w, https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/moon-landing-hero-600x600.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mega-column mega-feature"> <h4>Watch The New Space Race</h4> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/video-spacerace/" class="megamenu-feature"> <div class="megamenu-thumb" style="background-image: url('https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/08/spacerace-hero-1-300x300.jpg');"></div> <div class="megamenu-excerpt"> <h3>Video-SpaceRace</h3> <p>From India to China, the space race is expanding. Take a few minutes to explore videos from around the globe. </p> <span>Watch on</span> </div> </a> </div> <div class="mega-column mega-feature"> <h4>Watch Moon Landing History</h4> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/video-moonlanding/" class="megamenu-feature"> <div class="megamenu-thumb" style="background-image: url('https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/07/0000138702-300x300.jpg');"></div> <div class="megamenu-excerpt"> <h3>Video-Moonlanding</h3> <p>Watch history unfold. This page highlights stories told in video from Apollo 11 Liftoff to faking the moon landing.</p> <span>Watch on</span> </div> </a> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> </header> <main class="main"> <article id="post-668"> <div class="hero"> <img width="3000" height="1175" src="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/09/liwei-hero2.jpg" class="hero-blurred wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/09/liwei-hero2.jpg 3000w, https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/09/liwei-hero2-768x301.jpg 768w, https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/09/liwei-hero2-1024x401.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px" /><img width="3000" height="1175" src="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/09/liwei-hero2.jpg" class="hero-featured wp-post-image" alt="" loading="lazy" srcset="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/09/liwei-hero2.jpg 3000w, https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/09/liwei-hero2-768x301.jpg 768w, https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/09/liwei-hero2-1024x401.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px" /> </div> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="content col-12"> <h1 class="entry-title"><span>Yang Liwei</span></h1> <header class="entry-meta"> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/category/meet-the-explorers/" class="cat-link"><span class="cat-icon"><img src="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/09/icon-astronaut-1.png" /></span><span class="cat-label">Meet the People</span></a> <span>·</span>Chinese astronaut <div class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_34 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/yang-liwei/" data-a2a-title="Yang Liwei"><a class="a2a_button_facebook" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/facebook?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fexplore.britannica.com%2Fexplore%2Fspace%2Fyang-liwei%2F&linkname=Yang%20Liwei" title="Facebook" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/twitter?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fexplore.britannica.com%2Fexplore%2Fspace%2Fyang-liwei%2F&linkname=Yang%20Liwei" title="Twitter" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a><a class="a2a_button_linkedin" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/linkedin?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fexplore.britannica.com%2Fexplore%2Fspace%2Fyang-liwei%2F&linkname=Yang%20Liwei" title="LinkedIn" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a><a class="a2a_button_email" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/email?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fexplore.britannica.com%2Fexplore%2Fspace%2Fyang-liwei%2F&linkname=Yang%20Liwei" title="Email" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"></a></div> </header> <div class="entry-content"> <p class="has-drop-cap"><strong>Yang Liwei</strong>, (born June 21, 1965, Suizhong, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Liaoning">Liaoning</a>, China), Chinese <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/astronaut">astronaut</a> and the first person sent into space by the Chinese space program.</p> <div class="ad-unit ad-leaderboard acf/ad-billboard" id="adunit-block_5ce75a6a4802a"> <div class="ad-wrapper">  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1559240116728-0' style='height:90px; width:728px;' class="none block-l"> <script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1559240116728-0'); });</script> </div> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1559240229751-0' style='height:50px; width:320px;' class="block none-l"> <script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1559240229751-0'); });</script> </div> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-ugb-container alignfull ugb-container ugb--background-opacity-5 ugb--has-background ugb-container--height-normal ugb-container--align-horizontal-full alignright" style="background-color:#024565;border-radius:0"><div class="ugb-container__wrapper"><div class="ugb-container__content-wrapper"> <h3 style="text-align:left">Test Your Knowledge</h3> <p>Test your knowledge of all aspects of space, including a few things about life here on Earth, by taking these quizzes.</p> <div class="wp-block-ugb-button ugb-button-wrapper ugb-button--align-center"><div><a class="ugb-button ugb-button--align-center ugb-button--size-normal" href=""><span class="ugb-button--inner">View all quizzes</span></a></div></div> </div></div></div> <p>In 1983 he enlisted in the Chinese <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Peoples-Liberation-Army-Chinese-army">People’s Liberation Army</a> (PLA), where he was chosen to enter the aviation college of the PLA Air Force. He graduated in 1987 and became a fighter pilot, accumulating more than 1,350 flight hours. In 1998 he was selected from more than 1,500 candidates to enter astronaut training for <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/China">China’s</a> crewed <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/spaceflight">spaceflight</a> program. With 11 other taikonauts (the Chinese equivalent of astronauts), Yang spent five years studying the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/science">science</a> and operation of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/spacecraft">spacecraft</a> and undergoing physical and psychological training.</p> <p>Yang was identified as the crew member for China’s first crewed spaceflight only one day before the scheduled launch of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Shenzhou">Shenzhou</a> 5 craft. On October 15, 2003, he lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi desert in China’s <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Gansu">Gansu</a> province. A <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/launch-vehicle#ref272737">Chang Zheng</a> 2F rocket boosted Shenzhou 5 into space, where Yang spent 21 hours and orbited <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Earth">Earth</a> 14 times. </p> <p>He never entered the craft’s orbital module, which was released to perform a six-month military imaging reconnaissance mission. On October 16 he returned aboard the reentry module, which parachuted to the ground near a landing site in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Inner-Mongolia">Inner Mongolia</a>.</p> <p>Following Yang’s return, he was named vice-commander-in-chief of the astronauts system of China’s crewed spaceflight project. In 2008 Yang was promoted to major general.</p> <div class="wp-block-ugb-divider ugb-divider"><hr align="center" style="background-color:#dddddd;width:50%;height:1px"/></div> <p style="text-align:center"><strong>See related articles:</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-ugb-image-box ugb-image-box ugb-image-box--v3 ugb-image-box--columns-3" style="text-align:center"><div class="ugb-image-box__item" style="background-image:url(https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/tiangong-hero.jpg);height:390px;text-align:center"><a class="ugb-image-box__overlay" href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/tiangong/"></a><div class="ugb-image-box__content"><h4 class="ugb-image-box__title" style="color:#ffffff">TianGONG</h4><p class="ugb-image-box__description" style="color:#ffffff">Chinese space station</p></div></div><div class="ugb-image-box__item" style="background-image:url(https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/shenzhou-hero.jpg);height:390px;text-align:center"><a class="ugb-image-box__overlay" href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/shenzhou/"></a><div class="ugb-image-box__content"><h4 class="ugb-image-box__title" style="color:#ffffff">Shenzhou</h4><p class="ugb-image-box__description" style="color:#ffffff">Series of Chinese spacecraft, one of which carried the country’s first astronaut into outer space</p></div></div><div class="ugb-image-box__item" style="background-image:url(https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/chang-e-hero.jpg);height:390px;text-align:center"><a class="ugb-image-box__overlay" href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/china-national-space-administration/"></a><div class="ugb-image-box__content"><h4 class="ugb-image-box__title" style="color:#ffffff">China National Space Agency</h4><p class="ugb-image-box__description" style="color:#ffffff">Government organization that manages Chinese space activities</p></div></div></div> <div class="wp-block-ugb-divider ugb-divider"><hr align="center" style="background-color:#dddddd;width:50%;height:1px"/></div> <p><strong><em> Written by </em></strong><a href="https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419"><strong><em>The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</em></strong></a><strong><em>. </em></strong></p> <div class="ad-unit ad-leaderboard acf/ad-billboard" id="adunit-block_5ce75bc04802b"> <div class="ad-wrapper">  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1559240158767-0' style='height:90px; width:728px;' class="none block-l"> <script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1559240158767-0'); });</script> </div> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1559240254403-0' style='height:50px; width:320px;' class="block none-l"> <script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1559240254403-0'); });</script> </div> </div> </div> <p><em>Top Image Credit: Anat Givon/AP/REX/Shutterstock.com</em></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container"> <aside class="row"> <div class="col-12 col-2-3-m"> <div class="entry-related"> <h4 class="color-default">More Articles on Meet the People</h4> <ul class="list-block list-rules"> <li> <img width="370" height="280" src="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/neil-armstrong-hero-370x280.jpg" class="attachment-list size-list wp-post-image" alt="" loading="lazy" /> <div> <a href="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/neil-armstrong/" title="Neil Armstrong">Neil Armstrong</a> <p>Neil Armstrong, U.S. astronaut, was the first person to set foot on the Moon.</p> </div> </li> <li> <img width="370" height="280" src="https://explore.britannica.com/explore/space/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/fred-haise-hero-370x280.jpg" class="attachment-list size-list wp-post-image" alt="" loading="lazy" /> 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