Li Qinglong
Encyclopedia
Li Qinglong is a Chinese
pilot
selected as part of the Shenzhou program
.
, Anhui
province, China
. In 1987 he graduated from the People's Liberation Army Air Force
(PLAAF) Missile College and later the PLAAF Flight College. A fighter
pilot in the PLAAF, he had accumulated 1230 flight-hours.
In November 1996, he and Wu Jie
, started training at the Russia
n Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center
. When they returned to China a year later, they acted as the trainers for the first group of astronauts. In January 2003 it was reported by a Hong Kong
newspaper
that Chen Long would make the first manned Shenzhou flight. Then in March 2003 it was reported that Li Qinglong would make the first manned flight. It was thought that Chen Long was a corruption of Qinglong, a fact confirmed by the newspaper a couple of days before the launch of Shenzhou 5
, which was flown by Yang Liwei
.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
selected as part of the Shenzhou program
Shenzhou spacecraft
Shenzhou is a spacecraft developed and operated by the People's Republic of China to support its manned spaceflight program. The name is variously translated as "Divine Craft," "Divine Vessel of God," "Magic Boat" or similar and is also homophonous with an ancient name for China...
.
Biography
Li Qinglong was born in DingyuanDingyuan County
Dingyuan County is a county of Anhui Province, China. It is under the administration of Chuzhou city....
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
province, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. In 1987 he graduated from the People's Liberation Army Air Force
People's Liberation Army Air Force
The People's Liberation Army Air Force is the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the military of the People's Republic of China...
(PLAAF) Missile College and later the PLAAF Flight College. A fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
pilot in the PLAAF, he had accumulated 1230 flight-hours.
In November 1996, he and Wu Jie
Wu Jie
Wu Jie is a Chinese military pilot and astronaut selected as part of the Shenzhou program.-Biography:He was born in Zhengzhou, Henan province, China. In 1987 he graduated from the People's Liberation Army Air Force Engineering College and later the PLAAF Flight College...
, started training at the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center
Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center
The Yu. A. Gagarin State Scientific Research-and-Testing Cosmonaut Training Center is a Russian training facility responsible for training cosmonauts for their space missions...
. When they returned to China a year later, they acted as the trainers for the first group of astronauts. In January 2003 it was reported by a Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
that Chen Long would make the first manned Shenzhou flight. Then in March 2003 it was reported that Li Qinglong would make the first manned flight. It was thought that Chen Long was a corruption of Qinglong, a fact confirmed by the newspaper a couple of days before the launch of Shenzhou 5
Shenzhou 5
Shenzhou 5 — was the first human spaceflight mission of the People's Republic of China , launched on October 15, 2003. The Shenzhou spacecraft was launched on a Long March 2F launch vehicle. There had been four previous flights of unmanned Shenzhou missions since 1999...
, which was flown by Yang Liwei
Yang Liwei
Yáng Lìwěi is a Chinese major general and military pilot and a CNSA astronaut. He was the first man sent into space by the Chinese space program and his mission, Shenzhou 5, made China the third country to independently send people into space.-Background:...
.