"Astronaut transfer van The astronaut transfer van, also known as the Astrovan, is a NASA vehicle used at the Kennedy Space Center to transport astronauts from the Operations and Checkout Building to the launch pad before a launch mission, to the pad for launch dress rehearsals, and back to Operations and Checkout Building following a shuttle landing. According to driver Ronnie King, the astronauts like the history-filled vehicle, even if it is somewhat old, and even argued against upgrading the vehicle. ""We were staged to get a new one,"" King said, and added that word came that the rookie astronauts"
"similar to that taken by the Soviet Union with national space flight hero Yuri Gagarin, an official decision to no longer assign him to spaceflight missions was made. Yang was promoted to Major General on 22 July 2008. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization awarded the UNESCO Medal on Space Science to Yang in October 2017. Yang Liwei Yang Liwei ( ) (born 21 June 1965) is a major general, military pilot, and China National Space Administration astronaut. In October 2003, he became the first person sent into space by the Chinese space program. This mission, Shenzhou 5,"
"Xi Jinping awarded Jing the Order of August First, the highest military award of People's Republic of China. Jing Haipeng Jing Haipeng (; born October 24, 1966) is a Chinese pilot and astronaut selected as part of the Shenzhou program. A fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force, he was selected to be a CNSA astronaut in 1998. He is the first Chinese astronaut to have flown on three missions: Shenzhou 7, Shenzhou 9 and Shenzhou 11. Jing was one of the six trainees for the ""Shenzhou 6"" mission. Jing, along with Liu Boming and Zhai Zhigang were"
"Jing Haipeng Jing Haipeng (; born October 24, 1966) is a Chinese pilot and astronaut selected as part of the Shenzhou program. A fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force, he was selected to be a CNSA astronaut in 1998. He is the first Chinese astronaut to have flown on three missions: Shenzhou 7, Shenzhou 9 and Shenzhou 11. Jing was one of the six trainees for the ""Shenzhou 6"" mission. Jing, along with Liu Boming and Zhai Zhigang were selected for the prime crew on ""Shenzhou 7"" on September 17, 2008. On September 25, 2008, at 21:10"
"program it is now considered a modern country that can stand with the west. Col. Yang Liwei became an instant celebrity in China. Millions of stamps were issued with his face on them to show this great accomplishment. TV commercials in China since 2003 have shown an astronaut walking on the moon demonstrating the ultimate goal of the Chinese program. Space images in China have been used as a manner of inspiration, but also to bring people under control. It is believed that in the near term China will start using female astronauts to demonstrate further successes with the space"
"Yang Liwei Yang Liwei ( ) (born 21 June 1965) is a major general, military pilot, and China National Space Administration astronaut. In October 2003, he 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. Yang was born in Suizhong County, Huludao, Liaoning province. His mother was a teacher, and his father was an accountant at a state agricultural firm. Yang Liwei's wife is also a People's Liberation Army (PLA) officer, with whom he has a son. In 1983, he was admitted"
"Wan Hu Wan Hu (万户 or 万虎) is a legendary Chinese official — supposedly of 2000 BC, or else the middle Ming dynasty (16th century) — who was described in 20th century sources as the world's first ""astronaut"" by being lifted by rockets into outer space. The crater Wan-Hoo on the far side of the Moon is named after him. A precursor of the story of Wan Hu appeared in an article by John Elfreth Watkins published in the October 2, 1909 issue of ""Scientific American"", but used the name Wang Tu instead of Wan Hu: The possibly farcical text"
"Chang'e 3 Chang'e 3 (; ) is an unmanned lunar exploration mission operated by the China National Space Administration (CNSA), incorporating a robotic lander and China's first lunar rover. It was launched in December 2013 as part of the second phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. The mission's chief commander was Ma Xingrui. The spacecraft was named after Chang'e, the goddess of the Moon in Chinese mythology, and is a follow-up to the Chang'e 1 and Chang'e 2 lunar orbiters. The rover was named ""Yutu"" () following an online poll, after the mythological rabbit that lives on the Moon"
"Chinese Lunar Exploration Program The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP; ), also known as the Chang'e program after the Chinese moon goddess Chang'e, is an ongoing series of robotic Moon missions by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The program incorporates lunar orbiters, landers, rovers and sample return spacecraft, launched using Long March rockets. Launches and flights are monitored by a Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C) system, which uses radio antennas in Beijing and antennas in Kunming, Shanghai, and Ürümqi to form a VLBI antenna. A proprietary ground application system is responsible for downlink data reception. Ouyang Ziyuan, a geologist"
"Zhai Zhigang Zhai Zhigang (born October 10, 1966) is a major general in the People's Liberation Army Air Force and a CNSA astronaut. During the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008, he became the first Chinese citizen to carry out a spacewalk. Zhai was born in Longjiang County, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province. He enrolled at the PLA Air Force Aviation University and studied to be a fighter pilot and then as a squadron leader. Zhai became a lieutenant colonel and pilot trainer in the PLAAF after logging 1000 hours of flying time. In 1996, Zhai was selected to trial for the astronaut"
"thus became the first ""American cosmonaut"". ""Yǔ háng yuán"" (, ""Space-universe navigating personnel"") is used for astronauts and cosmonauts in general, while ""Hángtiān yuán"" (, ""navigating outer space personnel"") is used for Chinese astronauts. Here, ""Hángtiān"" () is strictly defined as the navigation of outer space within the local star system, i.e. Solar system. The phrase ""tài kōng rén"" (, ""spaceman"") is often used in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The term ""taikonaut"" is used by some English-language news media organizations for professional space travelers from China. The word has featured in the Longman and Oxford English dictionaries, the latter of"
"Feitian space suit, while Liu wore the Russian derived Orlan-M space suit. Zhai's favourite pastimes are calligraphy, dancing and gadgets. He is married to Zhang Shujing and has one son. Zhai Zhigang Zhai Zhigang (born October 10, 1966) is a major general in the People's Liberation Army Air Force and a CNSA astronaut. During the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008, he became the first Chinese citizen to carry out a spacewalk. Zhai was born in Longjiang County, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province. He enrolled at the PLA Air Force Aviation University and studied to be a fighter pilot and then as a"
"Zhao Jiuzhang Zhao Jiuzhang (; 15 October 1907 – 26 October 1968), also known as Jeou Jang Jaw, was a Chinese meteorologist, geophysicist and space physicist and engineer. He was a pioneer of Chinese space technology and is considered as a founding father of China's satellite program. Born in Kaifeng, Henan Province on 15 October 1907. From 1925 to 1927, he studied electrical engineering at Zhejiang Industrial School (now Zhejiang University) in Hangzhou. He then transferred to Tsinghua University in Beijing. He graduated from the Department of Physics, Tsinghua in 1933. In 1935, he went to the University of Berlin;"
"of his mission. He was promoted to full Colonel on 20 October 2003. According to the ""Youth Daily"", the decision had been made in advance of his spaceflight, but Yang was not made aware of it. He was launched into space aboard his ""Shenzhou 5"" spacecraft atop a Long March 2F rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 09:00 CST (01:00 UTC) on 15 October 2003. Prior to his launch almost nothing was made public about the Chinese astronaut candidates; his selection for the ""Shenzhou 5"" launch was only leaked to the media one day before the launch. Yang Liwei"
"(IAU), China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND). Three nearby impact craters were given the names Zi Wei, Tian Shi and Tai Wei, three constellations in traditional Chinese astrology. Chang'e 3 Chang'e 3 (; ) is an unmanned lunar exploration mission operated by the China National Space Administration (CNSA), incorporating a robotic lander and China's first lunar rover. It was launched in December 2013 as part of the second phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. The mission's chief commander was Ma Xingrui. The spacecraft was named after Chang'e, the goddess of the Moon in"
"CPC General Secretary and President Jiang Zemin named the rocket 'Shenjian' meaning 'Divine Arrow'. On 15 October 2003, a Long March 2F launched Shenzhou 5, China's first human spaceflight. It has since launched the Shenzhou 6, Shenzhou 7, Shenzhou 9, Shenzhou 10 and Shenzhou 11 missions into orbit. Externally, the rocket is similar to the Long March 2E from which it was derived. Most of the changes involve the addition of redundant systems to improve safety, although there are some structural modifications that allow the rocket to support the heavier fairing required by the Shenzhou capsule. The rocket is also"
"Junlong and Nie Haisheng flew the flight. Zhai, along with Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng was selected for prime crew on ""Shenzhou 7"", with Zhai as commander, on 17 September 2008. On 25 September 2008, at 21:10 CST, they launched into space as the first three-man crew for China, China's third human spaceflight mission. On 27 September 2008, Zhai became the first Chinese astronaut to spacewalk, completely outside the craft. Fellow crew member Liu Boming stood by at the airlock and could be seen straddling the portal. Zhai successfully completed his spacewalk at 18:25 CST. Zhai wore the Chinese developed"
"The visit coincided with an exhibition that featured his reentry capsule, spacesuit and leftover food from his 21-hour mission. On November 5, he travelled to Macau. On 7 November, Yang received the title of ""Space Hero"" from Jiang Zemin, the Chairman of the PRC Central Military Commission (CMC). He also received a badge of honour during a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People. Russia awarded him the Gagarin medal. The Chinese University of Hong Kong has given Yang an honorary doctorate. The asteroid 21064 Yangliwei and the fossil bird ""Dalingheornis liweii"" are named after him. In a move"
"of years of the development of Chinese mythology has resulted in Chinese mythology in popular culture, in the sense of popular culture affected or inspired by this tradition. This includes television shows, cinema, and video games. Also, many of the vehicles associated with the modern Chinese space program are named after mythology, such as the planned lunar explorer Chang'e 4, named after the lunar goddess and its communications relay satellite Queqiao, named after the lovers bridge over the Milky Way formed by magpies. <categorytree>Chinese mythology</categorytree> Chinese mythology Chinese mythology (Traditional Chinese Characters: 中國神話 Mandarin Chinese: ""Zhōngguó shénhuà"") is mythology that"
"Chang'e 1 Chang'e 1 (; ) was an unmanned Chinese lunar-orbiting spacecraft, part of the first phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. The spacecraft was named after the Chinese Moon goddess, Chang'e. Chang'e 1 was launched on 24 October 2007 at 10:05:04 UTC from Xichang Satellite Launch Center. It left lunar transfer orbit on 31 October and entered lunar orbit on 5 November. The first picture of the Moon was relayed on 26 November 2007. On 12 November 2008, a map of the entire lunar surface was released, produced from data collected by Chang'e 1 between November 2007 and"
"Shenzhou program The Shenzhou program (, ) is a manned spaceflight initiative by China. The program put the first Chinese citizen, Yang Liwei, into orbit on 15 October 2003. Development began in 1992, under the name of Project 921-1. The Chinese National Manned Space Program was given the designation Project 921 with Project 921-1 as its first significant goal. The plan called for a manned launch in October 1999, prior to the new millennium. The first four unmanned test flights happened in 1999, 2001, and 2002. These were followed by 2 manned missions. The second one was launched on 12"
"hours. While studying in Chicago, Chinese astronomer Zhang Yuzhe observed an unknown asteroid, provisionally designated "" for the first time on 25 October 1928. After it was (prematurely) given the number 1125, he named it ""China"" or ""中国"" (""Zhōngguó"") in honor of his native country. As it was not observed beyond its initial appearance, a precise orbit could not be calculated, and as a consequence, it became a lost asteroid. In 1957, the Purple Mountain Observatory in China discovered another asteroid, '. With the consent of Zhang Yuzhe, the designation 1125 China was transferred from the 1928-lost asteroid to this"
"Shenzhou (spacecraft) Shenzhou ( or ; ) is a spacecraft developed and operated by China using Soyuz technology to support its manned spaceflight program. The name is variously translated as ""divine vessel"", ""divine craft"", or ""divine ship"". Its design resembles the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, but it is larger in size. The first launch was on November 19, 1999 and the first manned launch was on October 15, 2003. In March 2005, an asteroid was named 8256 Shenzhou in honour of the spacecraft. China's first efforts at human spaceflight started in 1968 with a projected launch date of 1973. Although China"
"inspector. Fèi was selected for the CNSA astronaut program in 1998. He was in the final five selected for the ""Shenzhou 5"" flight. He was the commander on the ""Shenzhou 6"" flight that launched October 12, 2005, with Niè Hǎishèng serving as flight engineer). They landed on October 17, 2005. He was married in 1991 and has one son. During his personal time he dabbles in fine arts. The asteroid 9512 Feijunlong was named after him. Fei Junlong Major general Fei Junlong (; born 1965) is a Chinese military pilot and an astronaut. He flew on the second manned spaceflight"
"is said to endow her worshippers with beauty. Chang'e was mentioned in a conversation between Houston CAPCOM and the Apollo 11 crew just before the first Moon landing in 1969: In 2007, China launched its first lunar probe, a robotic spacecraft named Chang'e 1 in the goddess' honour. A second unmanned probe, named Chang'e 2, was launched in 2010. A third Chang'e spacecraft, a robotic lunar rover dubbed Chang'e 3, landed on the moon on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013 at about 9:12 p.m., Beijing time, making China only the third country in the world to achieve such a moon feat"
"Space Shuttle program. Although European manned spaceflight, performed by ESA, is dependent on US or Russian launches, most European astronauts have worn a patch designed for their particular mission (apart from some of the earlier Shuttle flights, when ESA astronauts wore the same crew patches as their NASA colleagues). ESA patches are designed either by the agency's graphics teams or occasionally by members of the public through competitions organized by ESA. ESA maintains a patch gallery of every patch worn by its astronauts. In 2003, China launched its first astronaut, Yang Liwei aboard Shenzhou 5. Following the US and Soviet/Russian"
"operation. A total of six astronauts were trained, three to conduct the mission and three others to serve as a backup crew. On 27 September, Zhai Zhigang, wearing a Chinese-developed Feitian space suit, conducted a 22-minute space walk, the first ever for a Chinese astronaut. Zhai slipped out of the orbital module in a head-first position at around 16:43 (0843 GMT) and wandered around the orbital module, retrieved experiment samples and waved the Chinese flag in space. The spacewalk lasted about 20 minutes, with Zhai returning to the orbital module at 17:00. The first space walk was limited in scope:"
"Taylor Wang Taylor Gun-Jin Wang (; born June 16, 1940) is a Chinese American scientist and in 1985, became the first Chinese person to go into space. While an employee of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Wang was a payload specialist on the Space Shuttle Challenger mission STS-51-B. With ancestry in Yancheng, Jiangsu, Republic of China, Wang was born in Jiangxi to Wáng Zhāng (王章) and Yú Jiéhóng (俞洁虹/俞潔虹). He moved to Taiwan in 1952 with his family. He studied his later part of elementary school in Kaohsiung, and graduated from The Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University"
"Wang Yaping Colonel Wang Yaping (born January 27, 1980) is a Chinese military pilot and astronaut. Wang was the second female astronaut to be named by the CNSA, and the second Chinese woman in space. Wang was a captain in the People's Liberation Army Air Force. She was a candidate for the space mission Shenzhou 9 in 2012. However, Liu Yang was selected over her for the historic mission of the first Chinese female space traveller. Wang was a member of the backup crew for SZ-9. Wang became the second Chinese female astronaut as a member of the Shenzhou 10"
"in Mandarin. It is a reference to the apsara, translated as ""feitian"", or the ""flying deva"", in Chinese, and most famously depicted in Chinese art in the grottoes of Dunhuang. Images of the ""feitian"" from Dunhuang appear on the arm badge of the space suit. Feitian space suit A Feitian space suit () is a Chinese spacesuit that was developed for the Shenzhou 7. Astronaut Zhai Zhigang wore it during China's first-ever extra-vehicular activity (EVA) on September 27, 2008. The Feitian spacesuit was modelled after the Orlan-M spacesuit developed by Russia. The two kinds of suits are similar in shape"
"the asteroid 1802 Zhang Heng, and the mineral zhanghengite. In 2018, China launched a research satellite called China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES) which is also named Zhangheng-1 (ZH-1). Zhang Heng Zhang Heng (; AD 78–139), formerly romanized as Chang Heng, was a Han Chinese polymath from Nanyang who lived during the Han dynasty. Educated in the capital cities of Luoyang and Chang'an, he achieved success as an astronomer, mathematician, scientist, engineer, inventor, geographer, cartographer, artist, poet, statesman, and literary scholar. Zhang Heng began his career as a minor civil servant in Nanyang. Eventually, he became Chief Astronomer, Prefect of the Majors"
"not successfully launch its first satellite until 24 April 1970. Mao and Zhou Enlai decided on 14 July 1967 that the PRC should not be left behind, and started China's own human spaceflight program. The first success came on 15 October 2003 when China sent its first astronaut into space for 21 hours aboard Shenzhou 5. The Ministry of Aerospace Industry was responsible for the Chinese space program prior to July 1999, when it was split into the China National Space Administration responsible for setting policy, and the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, responsible for implementation. The China"
"CST, they launched into space as the first three-man crew for China aboard China's third human spaceflight mission. Jing was selected as commander of ""Shenzhou 9"", becoming the first repeat traveller of the Chinese program. He commanded the first manned mission to dock with the first Chinese space station, Tiangong 1, with the first female astronaut, Liu Yang. The third member of his crew was Liu Wang. The mission was launched on 16 June 2012, returning to Earth on 29 June. On October 15, 2016, a press release indicated Jing Haipeng would be the commander of the Shenzhou 11 mission,"