Zhai Zhigang facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zhai Zhigang
Zhai in 2008
Born	(1966-10-11) 11 October 1966 (age 58) Longjiang County, Heilongjiang, China
Status	Active
Alma mater	PLA Air Force Aviation University
Space career
PLAAC Taikonaut
Previous occupation	Fighter pilot, PLAAF
Rank	Major General, PLASSF
Time in space	185 days, 5 hours and 59 minutes
Selection	Chinese Group 1
Total EVAs	3
Total EVA time	12 hours 58 minutes
Missions	Shenzhou 7, Shenzhou 13
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	翟志刚
Traditional Chinese	翟志剛
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhái Zhìgāng

Zhai Zhigang (Chinese: 翟志刚; pinyin: Zhái Zhìgāng; born on October 11, 1966) is a Chinese major general and a taikonaut. A taikonaut is what Chinese astronauts are called. He is part of the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC). In 2008, during the Shenzhou 7 mission, he made history by becoming the first Chinese person to walk in space. Before becoming an astronaut, he was a fighter pilot for the Chinese Air Force.

Early Life and Education

Zhai Zhigang was born in a small village on October 11, 1966. He was the youngest of six children in his family. He went to Longjiang County No. 2 High School. Later, he joined the PLA Air Force Aviation University. There, he trained to become a fighter pilot and eventually a squadron leader.

Air Force Career

After flying for 1000 hours, Zhai Zhigang became a lieutenant colonel and a pilot trainer in the Chinese Air Force. This means he taught other pilots how to fly.

Astronaut Career

In 1996, Zhai Zhigang was chosen as a possible candidate for China's astronaut program. In 1998, he was officially selected as one of the first 14 taikonauts. He was one of three people chosen for the final training for the Shenzhou 5 space flight. Another astronaut, Yang Liwei, was chosen for that mission. Zhai Zhigang was ranked second, just ahead of Nie Haisheng.

Zhai was also among the six taikonauts who trained for the Shenzhou 6 mission. Even though some newspapers thought he and Nie Haisheng would be the main crew, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng ended up flying that mission.

Shenzhou 7 Mission

On September 17, 2008, Zhai Zhigang was chosen as the commander for the Shenzhou 7 mission. His crewmates were Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng. On September 25, 2008, they launched into space. This was China's third human spaceflight and the first with a three-person crew.

Two days later, on September 27, 2008, Zhai Zhigang made history. He became the first Chinese astronaut to perform a spacewalk. This means he went completely outside the spacecraft. His crewmate, Liu Boming, stayed near the airlock, helping him. Zhai successfully finished his spacewalk. He wore a special Chinese-made spacesuit called the Feitian space suit. Liu Boming wore a Russian-made Orlan-M spacesuit.

Shenzhou 13 Mission

Zhai Zhigang was chosen as commander for his second space mission, Shenzhou 13. He flew to the Tiangong space station with Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu. On November 7, 2021, Zhai performed his second spacewalk. This time, he was with Wang Yaping, who became the first Chinese woman to walk in space. Later, on December 26, 2021, Zhai completed his third spacewalk with Ye Guangfu.

Personal Life

Zhai Zhigang enjoys several hobbies in his free time. He likes calligraphy, which is the art of beautiful handwriting. He also enjoys dancing and playing with gadgets. He is married to Zhang Shujing, and they have one son.

See also

In Spanish: Zhai Zhigang para niños

• List of Chinese astronauts
• Chinese space programme