|
Backgrounder:
Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut
JIUQUAN, Gansu, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Lieutenant
Colonel Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut
piloting a spacecraft, is travelingin the space
on board Shenzhou-5 at the moment.
Yang was born in June 1965 in Suizhong County
of northeast China's Liaoning Province and joined
the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) at
18.
He graduated from the No. 8 Aviation College
of the PLA Air Force in 1987 with a bachelor's
degree and became a fighter pilot. As a pilot,
he has had 1,350 hours of flight experience.
In January 1998, Yang became a member of China's
first team of astronauts.
He was selected as one of the finalists to be
the country's first astronaut for his excellent
performance in the five-year training.
|
