On October 15, 2003, China successfully launched its first astronaut into space, making it the third country after the United States and Russia to do so. The first Chinese astronaut, 杨利伟(Yánglìwěi), was able to orbit Earth 14 times before returning from space.
Born on June 21, 1965, Yánglìwěi joined the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and graduated from aviation college in 1987. As a fighter pilot, he flew over 1,350 hours in service before being selected out of 1,500 candidates for China’s crewed spaceflight program in 1998. A total of twelve final candidates studied spacecraft and underwent rigorous physical and mental training to prepare.
Yang Liwei was publicly announced as the sole crew member of the Shenzhou 5 space shuttle only a day before the launch. He spent a total of 21 hours in space on the Long March 2F rocket, parachuting into China’s Inner Mongolia and a celebration across the nation.
“When I boarded the spacecraft for the first time, I couldn’t help feeling excited knowing I would fly in it,” Yang Liwei said in one interview. “I am proud of becoming a member of the manned space flight project team and being able to witness the development of my country’s space technology and industry. I hope my experience will encourage more people to become interested in space technology and support space development.”
His flight hadn’t been without problems, though. At one point, he experienced extreme vibrations 30 or 40 km in the air. During that time, strong infrasonic waves caused by a design flaw hit Yang Liwei for around 26 seconds, but he made it through without major injury. In addition, he heard an eerie knocking in space, which was loud but hadn’t seemed to come from inside or outside the spacecraft. It had ultimately been harmless. Chinese astronauts after him have also reported a similar sound, but it’s remained a mystery to this day.
Yang Liwei has used his experience and expertise to help resolve design flaws in the next generation of Shenzhou spaceships, leading to the successful landing of Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng’s spacecraft. That would be China’s second manned space mission in 2005.
Today, he is a major general and has won numerous awards around the world for his efforts and contributions to future space missions.
Sources:
http://www.china.org.cn/china/shenzhouVII_spacewalk/2008-09/12/content_16440252.htm
http://www.china.org.cn/china/shenzhouVII_spacewalk/node_7054209.htm
Wow, it is so interesting how China is the 3rd to reach space! The other 2 countries were the United States and Russia. Yang li wei was the first chinese astronaut, and went through a lot to have that position. He joined the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and graduated from aviation college in 1987. Although he experienced extreme vibrations, thankfully he was left without major injury.
Good job Joanne. A well written piece on the first Chinese astronaut. I haven’t learned about China’s adventures in space before this and Yang liwei seems like a good place to start. Thank you Joanne for this enlightenment.
Such an amazing and interesting article on the first Chinese astronaut. I’ve never imagined that it had to take till 2003 for China to get into space, but I’m still glad that they did. I’ve never read about China traveling into space and I thought it was interesting how Yang Liwei was able to improve the spaceship after the launch. When I was little I dreamed of traveling into space and I think it’s pretty cool. Thank you Joanne for this amazing read!
I never knew that China was the third country to be on the moon. It’s also very scary that there were a loud knocking that still to this day people don’t know what caused it. What makes it even more scary is that other Chinese astronauts after him also heard the noise. He is also very lucky to be chosen out of a group of 1500 people! Thank you Joanne for another great article!
Im surprised that China launched their first astronaut into space in 2003. It’s an amazing feat for a country to have launched someone into space. I can’t believe that he was the one lucky person (well not really he must have been selected as the best candidate) out of 1500 to be selected for China’s crewed spaceflight program. And then selected again out of 12 final candidates to be the only astronaut to go into space. It is great that he has used his experience and expertise to further the space exploration cause.
This article was intriguing! It’s so cool how the first astronaut 杨利伟 was able to orbit Earth 14 times before returning from space. I find it interesting how astronauts find it exciting to fly in a spacecraft even though it could be very dangerous. I never knew the amount of work it takes to prepare and become an astronaut such as studying spacecraft and undergoing rigorous physical and mental training. I also learned that there was an unknown source of an eerie and loud knocking in space which still remains a mystery. After all, I’m still amazed how space technology can bring people to space.
Interesting article! The fact that China launched their first astronaut only proves how quickly China’s technology is improving. I never knew you had to go through so much rigorous mental and physical training to become an astronaut. But I guess now it makes sense, as going into space is a difficult mission. Even technology has its flows, though. There was a design error, but thankfully 杨利伟 escaped without any major injuries. This only shows that there are still aspects to improve on.
It is suprising how china was the third country on the moon. I did not know that they launched their first astronaut into space in the 2000s. This article especially interesting since I like space. He must be very lucky to be the first person in china to make it to orbit. It also could have been scary not knowing if the design would work or not in the real world instead of simulation.
It was very surprising to find out that China was the third country ever to go to the moon. I didn’t think that it would take until 2003 for China to launch it’s first astronaut into space! It must have been very nerve wrecking and frightening when he experienced vibrations. He must have been very nervous spending 21 hours in space. Very interesting article on his entire journey into space.
Its great that china is now a major representative alone with the US in space travel. It has always been something for the future, and by joining China in this race i believe major inter spacial achievements will come in the future. In the race to space, China was never considered a candidate due to the internal conflict with the cultural revolution, and it greatly hurt China’s economy. However, thirty years later, China has finally become an international force in the world growing huge economical status and trading bases. Most products in the world are now created in China and as an ABC, it makes me proud to know that the country my parents grew up in is no longer a poor struggling immigrant plant, but a rich successful empire.
Wow, China is the Third country to go to space! This is a huge accomplishment for the Country. The Chinese people must be proud of 杨利伟. It must’ve been terrifying. Great Article!
I find it amazing that one man was able to fly into space. I think a lot of people always think of space as dominated as the US and Russia. However, China had a big part in it. He had to do through a lot of pressure. He had to carry his countries hopes and dreams while suffering from all of the problems while flying.
What an interesting article. I can’t believe that he was able to orbit earth 14 times before going back. After reading the part were 杨利伟 heard noises now wonder if there could be other species up there.杨利伟 is such a strong and brave person. He went into space with his whole country on him and there were even little mishaps that happened in space. Such a great article
It is amazing that China is the third country to reach space. He must have been very nervous when experiencing vibrations. I’m surprised it took China until 2003 to reach space. He must have been very nervous spending 21 hours in space. Great article, thanks for sharing.
Wow! I never learned about this before! I always thought that going to space seemed cool. But I think it seems crazy that he was in space for 21 hours because I wouldn’t want to stay in space for that long. I also think it is cool that this person helped his other peers to make it to space by finding flaws in the newer spaceship. I really liked this article and would like more content like this!
Thank you for another interesting and informative article! After reading this article, I was amazed at just how many obstacles that Yánglìwěi had to go through in order to even make it into space. I definitely would not be able to undergo the rough physical and mental training that he completed, or be chosen out of 1,500 people to even get into the space program. I also thought it was very impressive that he was able to use his expertise to fix design flaws in other spaceships, so that the next space missions would be successful. I was also surprised that China was the third country to accomplish the feat of launching an astronaut into space. Lastly, I like how a visual image of the astronaut in the space shuttle was included.
Great article. It is so interesting that China is the third country to send an astronaut into space successfully. More than 30 years after the first space mission, the Chinese used their intelligence and high-tech research to send Yang Liwei into space. It is so amazing that Yang Liwei was able to make a round trip to space without serious injury or malfunctions because it can be very dangerous traveling to space. I have always been very interested in space missions and astronauts, although I doubt I will ever become an astronaut. This was an amazing article, thanks for sharing!
This was a very interesting article by Joanne. I never knew China was the third country to get to space. I thought many others already made it. Yánglìwěi worked very hard to get here because he went through rigorous training. He was also lucky to be selected from 1500 others. It was interesting to see how he pushed through hardships while in space. I liked how he used his experiences to help with flaws and make the next space expedition even better.
I did like reading about him. Also about his accomplishments but i did think that there were more countries with people going into space than just the usa and Russia. I think it is good hat his space flight had minimal issues and any tha were there were solved. I think it was good because if it wasn’t than chinas space agency would probably have sent another person into space for a very long time.
Thank you for writing such an amazing piece! I learned that China was third to make it to space, right after the United States and Russia! I think its so cool that Yang LiWei used what happened to him in the space craft (malfunction, vibrations) to help resolve design flaws. I’m also astonished that China launched their first astronaut into space in 2003. Even though it seems so long ago it has only been 15 years! I can’t wait to see what other cool missions China has planned.
Wow! I never knew that the first Chinese astronaut would go to space three decades after the first manned space flight. Yet, In this context, he sounded like a great man who knew what he was doing through his years as an astronaut. I will take into account he was born around the time that the first manned spacecraft was launched. I also can’t believe that he would become a general in the future. Thanks for the article and keep up the good work!
This is a very interesting article, Joanne. I find space a very intriguing aspect of modern society, as well as which countries in our world have travelled into this “final frontier.” It is great news that China has finally joined the club of countries that have been to space, and they can further this movement by having space agencies like we do in the United States. This is a catalyst for our two nations to work together to build the International Space Station, with many more nations around the globe. Thank you for the article.
This was very interesting! I’ve heard about the first man in space, but not about China’s first astronaut. It’s amazing how much work Yang Li Wei put into training, and in the end paid off. Today, I have not heard a lot about China’s space explorations, and wonder what advancements in technology have been made today. Thank you for writing about this topic that I would’ve never known about!
This article was intriguing! It’s so cool how the first astronaut 杨利伟 was able to orbit Earth 14 times before returning from space. I find it interesting how astronauts find it exciting to fly in a spacecraft even though it could be very dangerous. I never knew the amount of work it takes to prepare and become an astronaut such as studying spacecraft and undergoing rigorous physical and mental training. I also learned that there was an unknown source of an eerie and loud knocking in space which still remains a mystery. After all, I’m still amazed how space technology can bring people to space.
I didn’t know that it took until 2003 for China to put a man in space. Just orbiting around the earth doesn’t sound that big to us, but I bet it was a big deal for China. I am guessing that this was the first step for China to join the U.S and Russia in space exploration. Since they accomplished this they opened up many opportunities for exploration and innovation. Who knows it might come in handy in the near future.
Nice article Joanne! It’s interesting how the three major power countries in the world are also the first three countries to travel into space. It’s great to see how Yang Li Wei has put in a lot of effort in his training, which helped him to accomplish his missions. The selection process of being selected seemed to be very rigorous, but it’s nice to see how his effort paid off with the immense training he had to do. I can’t imagine the type of training Yang Li Wei had to done to be in space for 21 hours. It must’ve been nerve-racking.
Great article! Maybe going to space is a small thing to others, like the Americans already got to the moon in the 60s. However for a developing country, thats a huge accomplishment. Going to space is also a tough thing, 杨利伟 is brave to do this. HE represented China
Because he was the first astronaut, Yang Li Wei should be the Scott Carpenter of China. He was very brave in his explorations. Li Wei was first chosen in the expedition in the 1960s. His flight has no interruptions or no sayings like “Houston, we have a problem.” This will pave the way for China’s future space journeys.
Wow! I never that China had an astronaut that went into space. I only that the United States and the Russians went into space. I knew that the American’s went to the moon in the 60s but the Chinese got into space in the 60s. This really shows how far technology can really help people get ahead of other countries. This is just really cool.
This is so cool! I never knew that China had launched an astronaut into space in 2003 my birth year! Recently, I went to space camp at NASA and had so much fun participating in space simulations and missions. Hearing about 杨利伟(Yánglìwěi) orbiting Earth 14 times before returning from space, really inspires me to maybe someday do something in the aerospace field! Great job!
杨利伟是中国第一个登上太空的人，在我三岁的时候听到这个消息，所有中国人举国同庆。杨利伟很厉害，本来登上太空就是很危险的，他不仅通过了一层层考核，还有他的精神也是值得大家学习的。他给中国带来了很荣誉。
An interesting article about the first Chinese astronaut on the moon! Often these people get overlooked, especially in America, because Armstrong landed on the moon first. However, each astronaut has their own amazing story! I can’t believe Yang Li Wei had to face 30-40 km vibrations – it must’ve been scary knowing he could die at any minute! However, I’m glad that progress was and is currently being made in space – I think it’s beneficial for humanity as a whole to go to space.
Interesting to see a country that was behind the world’s technology, is now one of it’s top leaders. The progression in which technology has evolved will be incredible. I love space and it is interesting to see how companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are making rockets that even land themselves. I hope in the future that China’s aerospace industry will beable to progress far enough so that this may also happen.
It’s really nice to see that another country has become involved in space travel and possibly interplanetary action. Maybe we could even see them partner with an emerging space tech company from America to advance themselves further (although the FCC is kinda sinophobic, so I’m not sure if that would be able to happen). I hope to see China’s space division could potentially flourish like ours did in the 70s and 80s.
its amazing to find out how a country is getting involved with space travel and future plans for space. and i am not gonna like but Yang li wei is pretty lucky to be selected out of 1500 candidates and now he is apart of china’s history and accomplishments after the successful landing! super informative and cool article !
It’s astonishing to find out about these Chinese astronauts and see what china has done in the field of astronomy. it’s also great to see a Chinese astronaut orbit the Earth 14 times which is very impressive to stay up there for that long. Yang li wei sharing his experience is truly amazing as he inspires other asians to do what he did. And to be selected among 1500 candidates is a big accomplishment. Showing how much he impacted the world inspires me so much.
What an Interesting article! I am really fascinated about astronauts it amazes me how far you can actually go although I did not realize that China is also into astronomy. I can’t believe Yang Li Wei had to face 30-40 km vibrations – it must’ve been scary knowing he could die at any minute! However, I’m glad that progress was and is currently being made in space. Recently, China has been working to improve the world, like those solar panels from another article, and this is another one of the ways they are doing it.
Amazing article! I never knew that China is the third country to launch an austronaut into space. I think that 杨利伟 is very brave due to the fact that he has experienced many difficulties in space and he also used his experience to help improve the spacecrafts.
Oh my god aliens. That is really the only logical cause of that knocking! In all seriousness, space has always been so interesting to me. Yang Li Wei is so brave to be the first Chine astronaut. I can’t wait to see what discoveries we can make in the future.
Cool article! I think this guy was lucky he didn’t die and made it to the moon. I also find it interesting it took China 34 years to land on the moon after the United States did it. 杨利伟 must have gone through intense training to be able to be chosen from 1500 other people.
Wow Joanne, great article! I had no idea that China first sent a man into orbit in 2003. What a rigorous selection process, imagine being the only person selected out of a country of over 1 billion people to fly into outer space, what an accomplishment! Your description of the trouble that Yang Liwei had when he was in space gave me chills. Getting hit with infrasonic waves and hearing a mysterious knocking noise while being trapped alone in a space capsule is the stuff of nightmares. However, I am glad that he was able to use his experience to correct design flaws for future missions. With the US’s space program all but abandoned, I hope that China can be the country to further explore the final frontier. Keep up the great work!