Yang Liwei

Yang Liwei was a pilot. He went to space in a big rocket. This was the first time China sent a person into space.

He flew around the Earth many times. He ate special food like chicken and rice. He even slept in his craft.

The ride was not always smooth. The rocket shook a lot. It felt very uncomfortable for him.

He stayed in space for 21 hours. Then his craft landed on the grass. He was a space hero.

People even named an asteroid after him. He is a very famous pilot.

Yang Liwei is a famous pilot from China. He was the first person sent into space by his country.

In October 2003, Yang flew on a mission called Shenzhou 5. He rode on top of a big rocket. The rocket took him from a desert in China. During the flight, the rocket shook a lot. Yang said this felt very uncomfortable. He flew around the Earth 14 times. He ate special food like chicken and rice. He even slept twice during his trip.

Yang was in space for 21 hours. His craft landed in the grass of Inner Mongolia. He was a hero for his work. Many people gave him awards for his brave flight. An asteroid is even named after him. This is a large rock that moves in space. A fossil bird also has his name. Yang helped China become the third country to send people into space on their own. He now helps lead space projects in China.

Yang Liwei is a famous pilot from China. He became a hero when he went into space. He was the first person sent up by the Chinese space program. This mission was called Shenzhou 5. It happened in October 2003. Because of this trip, China became the third country to send people into space on its own.

His journey started at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. This center is in the Gobi Desert. He sat inside a spacecraft on top of a Long March 2F rocket. The rocket launched at 09:00 CST on October 15, 2003. Two minutes after the launch, Yang felt the craft shaking. He said the vibrations felt very uncomfortable. These shakes came from the rocket itself.

Yang grew up in Suizhong County in Liaoning. His mother was a teacher and his father was an accountant. He joined the military in 1983. He went to a flight academy and graduated in 1987. Before going to space, he was a fighter pilot. He flew for 1,350 hours. He was chosen as a candidate for space flight in 1998.

During his flight, Yang did many things. He orbited the Earth 14 times. He traveled more than 600,000 km. He ate special food like Kung Pao chicken and eight treasure rice. He even slept twice for three hours each. He waved small flags for China and the United Nations. His craft landed in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia on October 16, 2003. He was in space for a total of 21 hours.

Many people and groups honored Yang for his work. He received the title of "Space Hero." Russia gave him the Gagarin medal. Even the United Nations gave him a medal for space science. People have even named things after him in space and in history. There is an asteroid called 21064 Yangliwei. There is also a fossil bird named Dalingheornis liweii.

Yang Liwei is a major general in the People's Liberation Army and a former military pilot. He is best known as a taikonaut, which is the term used for Chinese astronauts. In October 2003, Yang became the first person sent into space by the Chinese space program. This historic mission was named Shenzhou 5. Because of this successful flight, China became the third country to independently send humans into space.

Yang's journey began with a launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. This facility is located in the Gobi Desert. He traveled into space aboard the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft. The craft sat on top of a Long March 2F rocket. The launch took place at 09:00 CST on October 15, 2003. Two minutes after the launch, Yang experienced abnormal vibrations. He described these vibrations as feeling very uncomfortable. These shakes were eventually traced back to the launcher rocket itself. This discovery led to design changes for the next carrier rocket, the CZ-2F, used for Shenzhou 6.

During the mission, Yang performed several tasks while orbiting the Earth. He completed 14 orbits around the planet. In total, he traveled a distance of more than 600,000 km. Yang stayed in space for a total of 21 hours. To stay nourished, he ate specially designed food packets. These included items like shredded pork with garlic, Kung Pao chicken, and eight treasure rice. He also drank Chinese herbal tea. To rest, he slept twice in intervals of three hours each. While in orbit, he waved small flags for the People's Republic of China and the United Nations.

Yang's spacecraft eventually returned to Earth through a process called re-entry. The capsule landed in the grasslands of the Inner Mongolia region. This landing occurred at approximately 06:30 CST on October 16, 2003. While the landing was successful, official images showed Yang with bleeding lips. This led to rumors of a hard landing, which was confirmed by people at the site. Despite this, Yang was able to leave his capsule about 15 minutes after landing. He was met by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to celebrate the mission's success.

Before his spaceflight, Yang Liwei built a strong foundation in aviation. He was born in Suizhong County, Liaoning. His father worked as an accountant and his mother was a teacher. Yang enlisted in the People's Liberation Army in 1983. He attended the Air Force Second Flight Academy and graduated in 1987 with a bachelor's degree. He served as a fighter pilot in the Aviation Military Unit. During his time as a pilot, he logged 1,350 hours of flight time. He was selected as a taikonaut candidate in 1998. He was eventually chosen from a final pool of 14 candidates to fly the first crewed mission.

Yang has received many prestigious honors for his contributions to science and exploration. He was given the title of "Space Hero" by Jiang Zemin. Russia awarded him the Gagarin medal for his achievements. In 2017, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization gave him the UNESCO Medal on Space Science. His legacy is also found in the natural world. Scientists have named an asteroid, 21064 Yangliwei, after him. Additionally, a fossil bird known as Dalingheornis liweii bears his name.

Since his flight, Yang has continued to serve in important leadership roles. He is currently the director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office. He also serves as a vice chief designer for China Manned Space Engineering. In 2008, he was promoted to the rank of Major General. His career shows how one person's training and courage can advance an entire nation's reach into the cosmos. He remains a central figure in the history of human spaceflight.