Yang Liwei

Yang Liwei
杨利伟
Yang in September 2011
Born (1965-06-21) 21 June 1965 (age 59)
StatusRetired
Alma materAir Force Aviation University (BEng)
Tsinghua University (PhD)
Space career
PLAAC astronaut
Current occupation
Vice Chief Designer, China Manned Space Engineering
Previous occupation
PLAAF fighter pilot
RankMajor general
Time in space
21 hours, 22 minutes, 45 seconds
SelectionChinese Group 1
MissionsShenzhou 5

Yang Liwei (simplified Chinese: 杨利伟; traditional Chinese: 楊利偉; born 21 June 1965) is a Chinese major general, former military pilot, and former taikonaut of the People's Liberation Army.

In October 2003, Yang became the first person sent into space by the Chinese space program. This mission, Shenzhou 5, made China the third country to independently send humans into space. He is currently a vice chief designer of China Manned Space Engineering.