Liu Yang (taikonaut)

Liu Yang (Chinese: 刘洋; pinyin: Liú Yáng; born 6 October 1978) is a Chinese military transport pilot and taikonaut. On 16 June 2012, Yang became the first Chinese woman in space, as a crew member of Shenzhou 9.^[2][3][4]

For other people named Liu Yang, see Liu Yang.

In this Chinese name, the family name is Liu.

Liu Yang
刘洋
Liu in 2013
Born	(1978-10-06) 6 October 1978 (age 46) Zhengzhou, Henan, China
Status	Active
Spouse	Zhang Hua
Children	2
Space career
PLAAC Taikonaut
Previous occupation	Military transport pilot, PLAAF
Rank	Senior Colonel, PLASSF
Time in space	195 days, 0 hours and 50 minutes
Selection	Chinese Group 2[1]
Total EVAs	1
Total EVA time	6 hours, 7 minutes
Missions	Shenzhou 9, Shenzhou 14

Liu Yang
Traditional Chinese	劉洋
Simplified Chinese	刘洋
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Liú Yáng IPA [ljǒʊ jǎŋ]

Biography

Liu Yang was born in Zhengzhou, Henan province in 1978,^[5] into a worker's family of Linzhou, Anyang origin.^[6][7][8] Her father Liu Shilin (刘士林) was an assistant engineer in the technical department of Zhengzhou First Food Machinery Factory, and her mother Niu Xiyun (牛喜云) was a worker in Zhengzhou Light Automobile Manufacturing Factory.^[6] She is the only child in her family.^[6] As a child, Liu aspired to become a lawyer or a bus conductor.^[9]

Liu Yang joined the PLA Air Force in 1997 and qualified as a pilot before becoming the deputy head of a flight unit, holding the PLAAF rank of major. She graduated from PLA Air Force Aviation University in Changchun. She is a veteran pilot with 1,680 hours of flying experience. After two years of astronaut training, Yang excelled in testing before being selected with another woman, Wang Yaping, as a candidate for the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC).^[10]

Liu Yang was selected for the crew of Shenzhou 9, the first crewed mission to the experimental Chinese space station Tiangong 1, along with Jing Haipeng — the first repeat Chinese space traveller — and Liu Wang. The mission was launched on 16 June 2012, 49 years to the day after the first female space traveller, cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, was launched.^[11] During Shenzhou 9's mission, Liu performed experiments in space medicine.^[12]

On 5 June 2022, Liu launched aboard Shenzhou 14 to the Tiangong space station for a mission of approximately 6 months, during which she assisted with the station's assembly and expansion.^[13] On 1 September 2022, Liu became the second Chinese woman to perform a spacewalk.^[14]

Personal life

Liu Yang is a girl member of the Chinese Communist Party.^[15] She is married to Zhang Hua (张华), and the couple have a son and a daughter.^{[16][15][17][6]} Her first child's birth was announced in February 2015.^[18]

Liu Yang has been described as an eloquent speaker, an avid reader and also a lover of cooking.^[19]

See also

• Women in space
  • Valentina Tereshkova
  • Sally Ride
  • Chinese women in space
    • Wang Yaping

References

1. "China mulls over sending female "taikonauts" into space". Xinhuanet. Xinhua. October 31, 2011. Archived from the original on November 1, 2011.
2. "China readies three taikonauts for station visit". Planetary Society. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012.
3. Du Xiaodan (June 16, 2012). "China launches spaceship with first female astronaut". CNTV.cn. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
4. Zhang Dan (June 18, 2012). "US media focuses on Chinese female astronaut". CNTV.cn. Archived from the original on September 30, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
5. "Liu Yang Born in Zhengzhou University Hospital" (in Chinese). Phoenix Television. June 21, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
6. Zhan Kang (占康) (2002). 刘洋：中国首位女航天员再出征 [Liu Yang: China's First Female Astronaut Goes on a Second Expedition]. Celebrities' Biographies (in Chinese). 602. Zhengzhou, Henan: Henan Literature and Art Publishing House: 12–16. ISSN 1002-6282.
7. Jin Feng (2012). "女航天员刘洋，铿锵玫瑰太空绽放" [Female astronaut Liu Yang, a resplendent rose blooming in space]. Lao Nian Ren (in Chinese). Changsha, Hunan: 12–13. ISSN 1007-2616.
8. "Visiting The Hometown of Liu yang" (in Chinese). Phoenix Television. June 18, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
9. "新华视点：聚焦中国首位"女太空人"刘洋". www.gov.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved October 31, 2023.
10. "China prepares for launch, names female astronaut". CNN News. June 15, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
11. Moskowitz, Clara (June 15, 2012). "China Unveils Astronaut Crew, 1st Female Spaceflyer, for Saturday Launch". Space.com. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
12. "China Sends 3 Astronauts, Including a Woman, Into Space". The New York Times. June 17, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
13. Helen Regan and Yong Xiong (June 5, 2022). "China launches third crewed mission to new space station". CNN. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
14. "China's spacewalkers take 2 steps towards faster Tiangong space station construction". South China Morning Post. September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
15. Amos, Jonathan (June 16, 2012). "China launches space mission with first woman astronaut". BBC. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
16. Xiao Qian (小倩) (2022). 航天员刘洋：家庭煮夫助我十年两上太空 [Astronaut Liu Yang: My husband helped me go to space twice in ten years]. Bosom Friend (in Chinese). 438. Wuhan, Hubei: Hubei Zhiyin Media Group Co., Ltd.: 9–11. ISSN 1007-502X.
17. 女航天员刘洋婆婆：希望媳妇能尽快生个孩子_资讯频道_凤凰网. News.ifeng.com. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
18. "China's 1st Female Astronaut Becomes Mom, Resumes Training". The New York Times. Associated Press. February 12, 2015. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
19. "Profile of Liu Yang, China's first woman astronaut". BBC News. June 16, 2012.

External links

• Spacefacts biography of Liu Yang
• The History of Liu Yang and her Family [simplified Chinese]