Summary
Zhang Xiaoguang (simplified Chinese: 张晓光; traditional Chinese: 張曉光; pinyin: Zhāng Xiǎoguāng; born May 1966) is a Chinese military pilot and taikonaut selected as part of the Shenzhou program.
Zhang Xiaoguang | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 1966 (age 57) |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Space career | |
| PLAAC astronaut | |
Previous occupation |  PLAAF fighter pilot |
Time in space | 14 days, 14 hours, 29 minutes |
| Selection | Chinese Group 1 |
| Missions | Shenzhou 10 |
Biography edit
He was born in May 1966 in Jinzhou, to a family of Manchu ethnicity and was a squadron commander in the People's Liberation Army Air Force when he was selected to be an astronaut in 1998. He had accumulated 1000 flight-hours as of 2004. He was selected as part of the backup crew for the Shenzhou 9 mission.[1] In 2013, he was selected to fly Shenzhou 10, the third spaceflight to the first Chinese space station Tiangong 1.[2]
Career edit
Shenzhou 10 was launched on 11 June 2013, at 09:38 UTC (17:38 local time) on a Long March 2F rocket.[3] It docked to the Tiangong-1 space station, and the crew spent 12 days on board. Zhang returned to Earth on Wednesday, 26 June 2013 00:07 UTC. Total mission duration was 14 days 14 hours and 29 minutes.[4]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Jones, Morris (3 April 2013). "Shenzhou's Shadow Crew". Space Daily.
- ^ "Astronauts of Shenzhou-10 mission meet press". Space Daily. 11 June 2013.
- ^ Barbosa, Rui C. (10 June 2013). "China launches three person crew on Shenzhou-10". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^ "China's Shenzhou-10 Crew Returns To Earth". Universe Today. June 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- Zhang Xiaoguan at the Encyclopedia Astronautica. Accessed 23 July 2005.
- Spacefacts biography of Zhang Xiaoguan