Liu Yang (taikonaut) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Liu Yang
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Liu in 2013
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| Born | October 6, 1978 Zhengzhou, Henan, China
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| Status | Active |
| Space career | |
| PLAAC Taikonaut | |
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Previous occupation
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Military transport pilot, PLAAF |
| Rank | Senior Colonel, PLASSF |
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Time in space
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195 days, 0 hours and 50 minutes |
| Selection | Chinese Group 2 |
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Total EVAs
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1 |
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Total EVA time
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6 hours, 7 minutes |
| Missions | Shenzhou 9, Shenzhou 14 |
| Liu Yang | |||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 劉洋 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 刘洋 | ||||||||
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Liu Yang (born October 6, 1978) is a brave Chinese pilot and astronaut, also known as a taikonaut. She made history on June 16, 2012, by becoming the first Chinese woman to travel into space! She was a crew member on the Shenzhou 9 mission.
Contents
Early Life and Dreams
Liu Yang was born in Zhengzhou, a city in Henan province, China, in 1978. She grew up in a family where her parents worked hard. As a child, Liu had big dreams. She thought about becoming a lawyer or even a bus conductor!
Becoming a Pilot
In 1997, Liu Yang joined the PLA Air Force, which is China's air force. She trained very hard and became a skilled pilot. She even became the deputy head of a flight unit. Liu graduated from the PLA Air Force Aviation University in Changchun. She is a very experienced pilot, having flown for 1,680 hours.
Training to Be an Astronaut
After her time as a pilot, Liu Yang went through two years of special training to become an astronaut. She did incredibly well in all her tests. Because of her excellent performance, she was chosen as a candidate for the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps, also known as PLAAC. Another talented woman, Wang Yaping, was also selected.
First Woman in Space
Liu Yang was chosen for the crew of Shenzhou 9. This was a very important mission because it was the first time a crew would visit China's experimental space station, Tiangong 1. Her fellow crew members were Jing Haipeng, who was the first Chinese person to go to space more than once, and Liu Wang.
The Shenzhou 9 mission launched on June 16, 2012. This date was special because it was exactly 49 years after the first woman in space, Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, made her journey. During her time on Shenzhou 9, Liu Yang helped with important experiments related to space medicine.
Return to Space
On June 5, 2022, Liu Yang went back to space aboard the Shenzhou 14 spacecraft. This mission was to the Tiangong space station, which is China's permanent space home. She stayed there for about six months. During this time, she helped build and expand the space station.
On September 1, 2022, Liu Yang made history again. She became the second Chinese woman to perform a spacewalk! This is when an astronaut goes outside the spacecraft while in space.
Personal Life
Liu Yang is married to Zhang Hua. They have two children, a son and a daughter. Her first child was born in February 2015. People describe Liu Yang as a great speaker. She also loves to read and enjoys cooking.
See also
In Spanish: Liu Yang para niños
