Chen Bo

Chen Bo, born in 1974 in Luoyang, Henan Province. His father is Chen Shulin and his mother is Huang Yan; both are retired employees of the Luoyang Copper Processing Group. As the eldest son, Chen Bo holds an important position in the family and has a younger brother, Chen Dong. Because of otitis media, Chen Bo was unable to fulfill his dream of becoming a pilot. By contrast, his younger brother Chen Dong passed the flight recruitment tests and became a pilot, leading to divergent career paths for the two brothers.

Beginning in 2003, Chen Bo worked in the medical field in the Dongguan area, serving successively at local hospitals; by October 2016 he was employed as a physical-examination physician. His work involved confidential duties related to medical examinations, which also meant that Chen Bo had not seen his brother Chen Dong in the past seven years. In a 2016 report he mentioned that because of work he could not often see his family, but he still kept in touch with relatives on special occasions.

In public, Chen Bo accompanied their mother in Dongguan to watch the live broadcast of the Shenzhou-11 launch during the 2016 space mission. In media interviews he expressed support for his brother’s dream, saying, “Chen Dong’s dream of going to space is also my dream.” He also revealed that the brothers’ last meeting had been in 2010, when Chen Dong was selected as a taikonaut. Chen Bo had invited his brother to visit the family in Dongguan and take a family photo after completing his mission, expressing his concern and hopes for the family.

During the 2022 space mission, their father Chen Shulin mentioned Chen Bo’s family role in an interview, emphasizing his responsibilities as the eldest son but offering no further personal details. Prior to the 2016 Shenzhou-11 mission, Chen Dong had repeatedly tried to contact the family; Chen Bo eventually conveyed his parents’ greetings. At a press conference Chen Dong thanked his older brother for his support, saying “half of the military medal belongs to my family.”

As of 2025, Chen Bo still maintains close contact with his younger brother and continues to follow Chen Dong’s career in space, reflecting the strong emotional ties and ongoing support among family members.