Ye Guangfu

Ye Guangfu, male, was born on September 30, 1980, and is a native of Chengdu, Sichuan. His family was of modest means. His father died when Ye was eight years old, and his mother, Liu Shaolin, took on the farm work and raised Ye and his older sister, Ye Yadan. As a child he had a strong interest in aerospace: he and his sister watched model airplanes and rockets together and he showed a pronounced enthusiasm for the subject.

He graduated in 1995 from Wan’an Middle School in the Tianfu New Area of Sichuan, and then attended Taiping Middle School in Shuangliu County, Chengdu (now Taiping Middle School, Tianfu New Area, Sichuan). While in high school, motivated by Air Force recruitment information, he resolved to apply to the Air Force Flight Academy. During the senior-year physical examination, because of the family’s financial difficulties, his mother borrowed 50 yuan to help him complete the exam. He was ultimately admitted to the Air Force Changchun Flight Academy with excellent results, beginning his military aviation career.

In the summer of 1998, Ye entered the Air Force Changchun Flight Academy. After graduating in 2000 he began flight training work, flying five different aircraft types and accumulating more than 1,100 flight hours. He performed outstandingly in training and was awarded the title of “Excellent Cadet.” He remained at the academy as an instructor and began his career as a flight school instructor. In May 2002 he joined the Communist Party of China.

During his service he was transferred multiple times across several provinces, actively taking part in flight and combat training and serving in roles such as air combat shooting director. In 2014 he earned a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Xi’an Jiaotong University. His flying skills were recognized and he was rated a First-Class Air Force Pilot.

In 2010 Ye was selected for China’s second group of astronauts and formally joined the country’s space program. In 2014 he obtained qualification for manned spaceflight. He later took part in international exploration programs including the European Space Agency’s CAVES training. In 2019 he was assigned to the Shenzhou 13 crew and in October 2021 flew on the Shenzhou 13 manned mission. The mission lasted 183 days, during which the crew carried out extravehicular activities, test verifications, and other tasks, setting a new record for Chinese astronauts’ in-orbit residence time.

In April 2024 Ye served as commander of the Shenzhou 18 astronaut crew, carrying out the space station crew rotation mission, which included multiple spacewalks and scientific experiments. While in orbit he also participated in space debris monitoring and equipment installation. After the successful completion of the mission, he returned to Earth in November 2024.

In his personal life, Ye married Li Xuan in 2006; they have a son and a daughter. He is fond of sports and served as the sports representative in middle school. Described as humble and respectful to teachers, he has shown courage in moments of crisis. He also actively participates in public welfare and science education outreach, having conducted space-based lessons from the space station to promote science to young people.

Ye Guangfu has received multiple honors, including the Second-Class Space Merit Medal, the Third-Class Space Merit Medal, and the title of “Hero Astronaut.” His story has inspired many young people and he has become an important representative figure in China’s space program.