The Shenzhou 16 mission marked a significant shift in the Chinese Manned Space Program when it launched on 30 May 2023, carrying the first civilian payload specialist to orbit. Gui Haichao, an aerospace engineer by profession, broke the established precedent of selecting only military pilots for Chinese spaceflight missions, signaling a move toward more diverse technical expertise in orbit.
Academic Background
Raised in Yunnan province, Gui attended local institutions including Yaoguan Central Primary School and Shidian Middle School. He progressed to Beihang University in Beijing, where he earned both his bachelor and doctorate degrees in aerospace engineering between 2009 and 2014. His early scholarship focused on space systems, nonlinear control, and spacecraft dynamics, establishing a technical foundation for his future role in space exploration.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Professional Development
Following his doctoral studies, Gui conducted postdoctoral research abroad from 2014 to 2017. His work spanned positions at York University and Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. He returned to China in 2017 to accept a position as an associate professor at the School of Astronautics at Beihang University. His academic contributions include peer-reviewed papers on fault-tolerant spacecraft attitude tracking and dual-quaternion observer control, published in journals such as Nonlinear Dynamics and IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology.
Selection and Spaceflight
In 2018, the Bureau of Human Spaceflight announced a search for civilian experts to assist in the expansion of the Chinese space station. Gui was one of 18 candidates selected out of 2,500 applicants following a rigorous three-stage process ending in September 2020. Despite possessing slight myopia, he was chosen as one of four payload specialists. He was formally sworn in on 1 October 2020, having joined the Chinese Communist Party earlier that year. During his six-month Shenzhou 16 mission, he performed essential on-orbit operations for science experimental payloads.
Fast facts
- Born: 1986, Yaoguan Town, Yunnan
- Citizenship: People's Republic of China
- Academic Institution: Beihang University
- Mission: Shenzhou 16
- Role: Payload Specialist
- Awards: Spaceflight Exploit Medal (2024)
Questions readers ask
What is unique about Gui Haichao's background compared to previous Chinese astronauts?
He is the first civilian to participate in the Chinese space program, as he was not previously enlisted in the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps.
What were his primary responsibilities during the Shenzhou 16 mission?
He served as a payload specialist tasked with the on-orbit operation of space science experimental hardware.
Achievements
- Spaceflight Exploit Medal
- Recorded as astronaut, researcher and aerospace engineer
