China’s first civilian female astronaut ‘never imagined’ she would voyage into space

Nuclear rocket scientist Wang Haoze, China’s only female space flight engineer, will spend the next six months aboard the Tiangong space station

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Wang Haoze, one of the three astronauts on China’s latest space station mission. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 8:00am, 30 Oct 2024Updated: 8:56am, 30 Oct 2024

Nuclear rocket scientist Wang Haoze has made history as the first civilian Chinese female astronaut, after she and the rest of the Shenzhou-19 spaceship crew blasted off on Wednesday morning on a mission to China’s Tiangong space station.

The journey is all the more remarkable for Wang, who thought she never would have had a chance for such an adventure.

“I was mainly responsible for preliminary research on new engines to develop future rockets for deep space exploration,” she told China’s state broadcaster CCTV on Tuesday.

“I never imagined that as a space science and technology professional, I would have the chance to become an astronaut. When I came across the opportunity, I felt it was so precious and I signed up. It is incredible.”

Wang, 34, along with Shenzhou-19 Commander Cai Xuzhe, who took part in the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022, and fellow first-time astronaut Song Lingdong, lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northeastern China’s Gobi Desert early Wednesday morning. They are expected to stay aboard the space station for six months to carry out scientific research and extravehicular activities.

From left to right, Chinese astronauts Wang Haoze, Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong are members of the Shenzhou-19 mission to China’s space station. Photo: Xinhua

Wang is the third Chinese woman on a crewed space flight, after Wang Yaping and Liu Yang, who both served as transport pilots in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force before becoming astronauts.