All Astronauts
ELITEActiveCNSA
ELITEActiveCNSACNSA·🇨🇳 China·Born 1966
Zhai Zhigang
First Chinese astronaut to perform a spacewalk.
193d
Days in Space
2
Missions
2
EVAs
13h
EVA Time
I have been out of the hatch. I'm feeling good.
I'm here greeting the Chinese people and the people of the world.
Inspirations
What they aspire to
He hopes to inspire future generations of Chinese astronauts to explore deeper into space.
Biography
First Chinese astronaut to perform a spacewalk. Commander of the first crew to live on Tiangong space station for 6 months.
Before NASAPLA Air Force fighter pilot and squadron leader who logged over 1,000 flying hours before being selected as a taikonaut in 1998.
Notable Missions
Shenzhou 7Shenzhou 13
Beyond the Mission
Causes They Champion
Promoting China's manned space programMentoring younger taikonauts
Languages
Mandarin Chinese
Awards & Honors
- Spaceflight Hero (Hangtian Yingxiong)
- Aerospace Merit Medal
- Order of August First
Fun fact
Born to a poor rural family in Heilongjiang, his mother sold roasted sunflower seeds to help fund his education before he became China's first spacewalker.
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