Born: January 1980 (Yantai, Shandong province)
Biography:
Wang Yaping (Chinese: 王亚平; pinyin: Wáng Yàpíng; born January 1980) is a Chinese military transport pilot and taikonaut. She is recognized as the second female taikonaut selected to the People’s Liberation Army Astronaut Corps, the second Chinese woman to journey into space, and the first Chinese woman to execute a spacewalk. In April 2022, Wang achieved a new record for the longest stay in space by a female Chinese astronaut, accumulating a total of 197 days in space.
Wang Yaping was born in the prefecture of Yantai, located in Shandong province. Her parents, who work as farmers, raised her along with her two sisters. Wang commenced her education in September 1991 when she entered junior high school in Yantai. In 1994, she enrolled at Yantai Yizhong High School, graduating three years later. Following her completion of high school, Wang was admitted to the Changchun Flight College of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.
Joining the air force in August 1997, Wang became part of the seventh batch of female military pilots in China, consisting of 37 members. In 2001, she completed her studies at Aviation University and flight school, attaining the rank of First Lieutenant. As a pilot assigned to the Air Force’s transport aircraft crew in Wuhan, Wang has engaged in various missions such as combat readiness exercises, participating in the relief efforts for the Wenchuan Earthquake, and conducting cloud seeding and weather modification operations for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games to disperse clouds and reduce rainfall. Her exceptional performance led to her promotion to the rank of Air Force Class II pilot after accumulating 1,600 hours of safe flight.
In May 2010, Wang officially became the second female astronaut of China while serving as a captain in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. She initially aimed to participate in the space mission Shenzhou 9 in 2012. However, she was not selected for this historic mission as the first Chinese female space traveler. Wang served as a member of the backup crew for Shenzhou 9 instead.
Wang’s opportunity to venture into space finally came with the Shenzhou 10 mission in June 2013. She took part in the mission as a member of the Shenzhou 10 spaceship crew, which orbited the Earth. The spaceship also docked with the Tiangong-1 orbiting space station. Wang was dubbed the Goddess II and was the first crew member announced for the mission in April. The remaining crew members were announced in June. The launch date of Shenzhou 10 coincided with the 50th anniversary of Vostok 6, the first spaceflight by a woman, Valentina Tereshkova. Alongside Wang, another woman in space on June 16, 2013, was Karen Nyberg, an American astronaut stationed aboard the International Space Station.
During her time aboard the Tiangong-1, Wang performed scientific experiments and conducted a live televised physics lesson for students in China. Her contributions to the mission demonstrated her expertise and commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and education. Wang’s exemplary performance and achievements have earned her the recognition of being a role model for aspiring female astronauts and a pioneer in China’s space exploration endeavors.
As of 2018, Wang Yaping held the rank of Air Force Colonel and had received training to fly four different aircraft. Her dedication and accomplishments in both the military and space exploration have made her an inspiration to women worldwide and a symbol of progress in the field of aviation and space science.