- Born:
- October 10, 1966, Longjiang, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang, China (age 60)
Zhai Zhigang
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Who is Zhai Zhigang?
Zhai Zhigang, born on October 10, 1966, is a Chinese astronaut who performed China’s first spacewalk. In 1998, Zhai was chosen from over 1,500 candidates to train as an astronaut for China’s crewed spaceflight program.
Zhai was the commander of Shenzhou 7, launched on September 25, 2008, during which he made China's first spacewalk. He returned to space as commander of Shenzhou 13 on October 15, 2021, with Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu, spending a record 182 days in space. During this mission, he performed two spacewalks, one with Wang, the first Chinese woman to do so.
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What is an astronaut, and what kind of astronaut is Zhai Zhigang?
An astronaut is a space traveler. They can be pilots, mission specialists, or payload specialists. To become an astronaut, candidates need a college degree in engineering, life science, physical science, or mathematics and must pass a rigorous screening process.
Zhai Zhigang is a Chinese astronaut, also known as a taikonaut, who performed China’s first spacewalk. Selected as an astronaut candidate in 1998, Zhai waited 10 years before commanding the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008, which achieved China's first spacewalk. He later commanded Shenzhou 13 to the Tiangong space station, spending a record 182 days in space and performing two spacewalks, one with Wang Yaping, the first Chinese woman to do so.
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Which space mission made Zhai Zhigang famous in China?
Zhai Zhigang's fame in China is largely attributed to the Shenzhou 7 mission, launched on September 25, 2008, where he performed China's first spacewalk. A camera broadcasted the event live to audiences in China. He was the commander of the three-person crew. The crew spent three days in Earth orbit, and they safely returned to Earth on September 27.
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What important achievement did Zhai Zhigang accomplish during his space mission?
Zhai Zhigang, as commander of Shenzhou 7, accomplished China's first spacewalk on September 25, 2008. This mission, which included crew members Liu Buoming and Jing Haipeng, lasted three days in Earth orbit and marked a significant milestone in China's space program, making China the third country to conduct a crewed spacewalk. Zhai later commanded Shenzhou 13 in 2021, setting a record for the longest Chinese spaceflight at 182 days and completing two spacewalks.
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How did Zhai Zhigang’s spacewalk contribute to China's space program?
Zhai Zhigang's spacewalk on the Shenzhou 7 mission in September 2008 was a milestone, making him the first Chinese astronaut to perform a spacewalk. This achievement marked China as the third country to independently achieve human spaceflight and demonstrated China's growing capabilities in space exploration. The success of the Shenzhou 7 mission, with Zhai's spacewalk, facilitated further advancements, such as operating a space laboratory, which are essential for extended human operations in space. Zhai Zhigang later commanded the Shenzhou 13 mission to the Tiangong space station, where he performed two more spacewalks, one with Wang Yaping, the first Chinese woman to do so.
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What other roles or contributions has Zhai Zhigang made in China's space exploration efforts?
Zhai Zhigang's contributions to China's space exploration efforts include his military service as a fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army (PLA), where he logged 1,000 hours of flight time and rose to the rank of colonel. After being selected for China’s crewed spaceflight program in 1998, he spent years in training, and was a backup pilot for the Shenzhou 5 and 6 missions. In 2008, Zhai became the first Chinese astronaut to perform a spacewalk as commander of Shenzhou 7. Later, he commanded the Shenzhou 13 mission in 2021, which set a record for the longest Chinese spaceflight at 182 days. During this mission to the Tiangong space station, Zhai performed two spacewalks, one with Wang Yaping, the first Chinese woman to do so.
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Zhai Zhigang (born October 10, 1966, Longjiang, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang, China) is a Chinese astronaut who performed China’s first spacewalk.
Zhai was the child of an illiterate mother who peddled sunflower seeds to pay for her children’s education. He joined the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and won entry into the PLA Army Air Force Aviation Institute, where he became a fighter pilot. As a pilot, he logged 1,000 hours of flight time and rose to the rank of colonel. He was selected from more than 1,500 candidates in 1998 to enter astronaut training for China’s crewed spaceflight program.
With a dozen other taikonauts (the Chinese equivalent of astronauts), he spent five years studying the science and operation of spacecraft and undergoing physical and psychological training. In 2003 he was among the final candidates to pilot Shenzhou 5, China’s first crewed spaceflight, and served as the backup to Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei. He was again a backup in 2006 for the Shenzhou 6 mission.
On September 25, 2008, after 10 years of waiting and preparation, Zhai lifted off as commander with two other crew members, Liu Buoming and Jing Haipeng, aboard Shenzhou 7 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu province, northwestern China. The crew spent three days in Earth orbit. On the second day, as a camera broadcast the event live to audiences in China, Zhai left the orbital module to walk in space. The crew returned safely to Earth on September 27 in the Shenzhou’s reentry module, which parachuted to the ground in the northern grasslands of China.
Zhai returned to space, as commander of Shenzhou 13, on October 15, 2021, with Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu. Shenzhou 13 was the second flight to the Tiangong space station, and Zhai and his fellow crew members spent 182 days in space, a record for the longest Chinese spaceflight. He performed two spacewalks during the mission, one with Wang, the first by a Chinese woman. Shenzhou 13 returned to Earth on April 16, 2022.