Ye Yadan

Ye Yadan is a member of a family, born in China; her exact date of birth has not been disclosed. In 2024 she, together with her mother Liu Shaolin, shared the family’s support duties, playing an important role especially while her brother Ye Guangfu carried out the Shenzhou-18 mission. Ye Yadan has long played a key role in family activities, particularly during major spaceflight events.

On April 26, 2024, the day Shenzhou-18 was launched, Ye Yadan told the media she felt reassured about her brother’s safe return. She also prepared various gifts for his return, including scarves and a photo album documenting his growth, expressing care and best wishes for the astronaut.

On September 30, 2022, Ye Yadan represented the family to accept the honorary title “Hero Astronaut,” highlighting her family’s support for and recognition of the space program. During Ye Guangfu’s Shenzhou-18 mission, Ye Yadan and her mother actively interacted with him. She received a birthday surprise sent by Ye Guangfu from space and followed her brother’s development as mission commander.

Ye Yadan also witnessed Ye Guangfu’s performance on his second spaceflight, including him taking family photos into space and his physical recovery after returning. She actively recorded and followed the family members’ space experiences, showing sustained concern for the space program.

In terms of honors, Ye Yadan has appeared repeatedly in public reports. In January 2025 she participated in the award ceremony for Ye Guangfu’s Second-Class Space Merit Medal. On October 3, 2022, she also represented the family via video to share news of his meritorious achievement with Ye Guangfu in space. At multiple official events, Ye Yadan spoke about the support role of families and the city in the space program, emphasizing the family’s important contribution to the nation’s space efforts.

In summary, Ye Yadan primarily serves as a family supporter in China’s space program; through various forms of support for the astronauts’ work and life, she exemplifies the role of families in major national science and technology projects.