Yang Liwei
Yang Liwei | |
---|---|
杨利伟 | |
Chinese Group 1 | |
Missions | Shenzhou 5 |
Yang Liwei (
In October 2003, Yang became the first person sent into space by the
Early life and education
Yang Liwei was born in Suizhong County, Huludao, Liaoning.[1] His mother was a teacher and his father was an accountant at a state agricultural firm.[2] Yang Liwei married Zhang Yumei with whom they had a son together. Zhang Yumei was a part of the People's Liberation Army and was a teacher in China's Space Program.[3][4]
In 1983, he enlisted for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and was admitted to the Air Force Second Flight Academy (空军第二飞行学院), graduating in 1987 with a bachelor's degree.[5] He participated in the screening process for astronauts in 1996.[6] In the PLAAF, he logged 1,350 hours of flight time as a fighter pilot before he went to space training.[1]
Yang entered Tsinghua University in Beijing for doctoral studies in 2004 and received a Doctor of Philosophy in Management in 2009.[7][8]
Spaceflight career
Yang was selected as a taikonaut candidate in 1998 and has trained for space flight since then.
The launch window of Shenzhou 5, was chosen to be 15 October 2003 because it would coincide with the conclusion of a Communist Party conference in Beijing and a day before President Hu Jintao's visit to Thailand for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.[9] President Hu was present at the launch site to supervise the launch of Shenzhou 5.[9] The launch was not broadcast on live television to prevent negative publicity in the event of a disaster.
He was launched into space aboard his
Yang Liwei reported the occurrence of abnormal vibrations two minutes after launch which he described as "very uncomfortable". The vibrations were later discovered to have come from the launcher rocket.
Yang punctuated his journey with regular updates on his condition; variations of "I feel good", the last coming as the capsule floated to the ground after re-entry.
State media said Yang's capsule was supplied with a gun, a knife and tent in case he landed in the wrong place.[15]
Yang's craft landed in the grasslands of the Chinese region of
Although the first Chinese citizen in space, Yang Liwei is not the first person of Chinese origin in space. Shanghai-born Taylor Wang flew on Space Shuttle mission STS-51-B in 1985.[17] Wang, however, had become a United States citizen in 1975.[17] Taylor Wang was not the first person born in China to go to orbit. William Anders was born in Hong Kong on 17 October 1933.[18] Anders would be a part of the Apollo 8 lunar orbital mission in 1968.[18]
Yang visited Hong Kong on 31 October 2003, holding talks and sharing his experiences during a six-day stay in the territory.[19] The visit coincided with an exhibition that featured his reentry capsule, spacesuit and leftover food from his 21-hour mission. On 5 November he travelled to Macau.[19]
On 7 November, Yang received the title of "Space Hero" from Jiang Zemin, the Chairman of the PRC Central Military Commission (CMC).[1] He also received a badge of honour during a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People. Russia awarded him the Gagarin medal.[20] The Chinese University of Hong Kong has given Yang an honorary doctorate.[1]
The
After Shenzhou 5
In a move similar to that taken by the Soviet Union with national space flight hero Yuri Gagarin, an official decision to no longer assign him to future spaceflight missions was made.[by whom?][citation needed] Yang was promoted to Major General on 22 July 2008.[22]
After the successful space flight of Shenzhou 5, Yang was given the position of vice-commander-in-chief of the astronauts system of China's crewed spaceflight project.[23]
Yang became the alternate member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party at the 17th Party Congress in October 2007.
The
Yang Liwei is the director of the
See also
- Wan Hu
- List of Chinese astronauts
- Chinese space programme
References
- ^ a b c d e f Guang, Yang (24 January 2011). "Mission Possible for Yang Liwei". China Daily. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ a b c Ong, Hwee Hwee (16 October 2003). "Fighter pilot Yang - average student, superb self-control". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ "Yang Liwei | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
- ^ "Yang Liwei". www.astronautix.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
- ^ Cheng, Jinyu (2016-04-11). "杨利伟:中国进入太空的第一人". 华夏经纬网. Archived from the original on 2016-12-07. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
- ISBN 144190879X.
- ^ "杨利伟清华读博士_新闻中心_新浪网". news.sina.com.cn. 2006-01-27. Archived from the original on 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
- ^ Xinhua (2010-01-26). "我国首批航天员被清华大学授予工程硕士学位_中国载人航天官方网站". China Manned Space Agency. Archived from the original on 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
- ^ a b c d e f "Shenzhou 5". China Space Report. 2016-05-14. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
- ^ a b c d Jiang, Guocheng (19 October 2003). "China's first astronaut promoted". Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ "President Hu hails successful launch of Shenzhou V". People's Daily. 15 October 2003. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ a b "Yang Liwei | Biography & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
- ^ ""神七"运载火箭完成总装和出厂测试 今将出征". 中国新闻网. 2008-07-19. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
- ^ a b "Chinese astronaut calls family from space (details added)". Xinhua News Agency. 15 October 2003. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f Rhoads, Brian (16 October 2003). "China's first manned space flight ends in success". Reuters. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ "杨利伟:"职业航天员是我的事业和人生追求"". 新华网. September 29, 2007. Archived from the original on June 25, 2008. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
- ^ a b "China looks to moon - Chinese shuttle astronaut". AFP. 17 October 2003. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ a b Shelby, Julie. "Maj. Gen. Bill Anders". Heritage Flight Museum. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
- ^ a b Burning, Harald (6 November 2003). "Macau flag-wavers give astronaut a warm welcome". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ China Daily. http://www2.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-08/20/content_470775.htm
- ^ Zhang, Z., Hou, L., Hasegawa, Y., O'Connor, J., Martin, L.D. and Chiappe, L.M. (2006). "The first Mesozoic heterodactyl bird from China." Acta Geologica Sinica, 80(5): 631-635.
- ^ "我国首位"太空人"杨利伟被授予少将军衔(图)". 北方网. July 22, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
- ^ "Yang Liwei | Biography & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
- ^ "Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei among first UNESCO Space Science Medal winners". China Daily. 2017-10-29.
- ^ "China readying for space station era: Yang Liwei - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2018. Retrieved 2021-04-02.