Liu Yang (taikonaut)
A pioneering aviator who broke the celestial ceiling for Chinese women, commanding the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft on a historic mission to dock with the Tiangong-1 space lab.
Born 1978 (age 48)·Chinese taikonaut·Birthday: October 6·Generation X
Biography
Liu Yang's journey to the stars began in the cockpit of a military transport plane. Selected as part of China's second group of taikonauts in 2010, she stood out not just for her skill but for the symbolic weight she would carry. In June 2012, strapped into the Shenzhou 9 capsule, she became the first Chinese woman to leave Earth's atmosphere. Her mission was critical and complex: a manual docking with the Tiangong-1 space laboratory, a key step in China's ambitious plan to build a permanent space station. During her 13 days in space, she conducted medical and scientific experiments, proving the capability and calm under pressure required for long-duration spaceflight. Liu Yang transformed from an accomplished Air Force pilot into a national icon, inspiring a generation of young women in China and signaling the country's serious, inclusive push into the cosmos.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Liu was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Liu Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Liu's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 40
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first Chinese woman to travel to space as a crew member of the Shenzhou 9 mission in 2012.
- Participated in China's first crewed manual space docking with the Tiangong-1 space lab.
- Awarded the title of 'Heroic Taikonaut' by the Chinese government after her successful mission.
Did You Know?
Before becoming a taikonaut, she was a pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force with over 1,680 hours of flight experience.
She reportedly described the view from space as 'deeply moving and stunning'.
She is a deputy to the National People's Congress, China's national legislature.
She returned to space for a second time in 2022 aboard the Shenzhou 14 mission for a six-month stay on the Tiangong space station.
“I am grateful to the motherland and the people for giving me the chance to fly.”
