Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut to reach Earth's orbit, has officially retired from active duty. In a recent CCTV interview, he stated that he and his cohort are ready to resume flights if the motherland needs them.
Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut to independently reach space, blasted off on October 15 aboard the Shenzhou-5 spacecraft on a Long March-2F rocket, just 16 hours after being selected from a shortlist of three astronauts, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The mission lasted 21 hours, during which he orbited Earth 14 times. It marked a turning point for the nation's human spaceflight programme, which began in 1992, making China the third country to independently send humans into space.
In a CCTV interview on Saturday, Yang revealed that the country's first group of astronauts had been grounded in October according to regulations. He said, “if our motherland needs us, we can resume flights.” This statement underscores the willingness of the pioneering cohort to contribute further if required.
Yang's official retirement from active duty aligns with established protocols, closing a significant chapter in his career that pioneered China's space achievements.