Cai Xuzhe

Cai Xuzhe, born in 1976 in Shenzhou City, Hebei Province, comes from a family with a noticeable political background: both his grandfather and grandmother were long-time Party members who joined the Party before the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Influenced by his family in childhood, his grandfather gave him a small illustrated book about the Eighth Route Army, which sparked his interest in anti-Japanese stories and inspired him from an early age to join the military and serve his country.

Cai completed his primary, middle and high school education in Shenzhou City. During this period he developed a strong interest in aerospace and flying. In his senior year of high school, after learning about Air Force pilot recruitment, he immediately applied. His admired role model was Air Force Commander Wang Hai, and he subscribed to the magazine China Air Force to study aviation knowledge.

In 1995 Cai was admitted to the Air Force Flight Academy, entering the Baoding branch of the Changchun Flight Academy. During his studies he performed excellently, was named an outstanding cadet, and successfully completed all theoretical and flight courses, becoming one of the Air Force’s “pride of the blue sky.” He joined the Communist Party of China in May 1998.

After graduation he volunteered to be assigned to a regiment at a training base with difficult conditions, becoming a pilot and flight instructor and serving as the lead aircraft for four-ship formations, an important backbone member of the regiment. He achieved notable results in both flying ability and instructional experience, and was rated a first-class Air Force pilot.

After the success of the Shenzhou 5 mission in 2003, Cai was attracted to a career as an astronaut. In May 2009 he voluntarily applied for the second group of astronaut selections, and in May 2010 he was selected—after multiple rounds of screening—into the People’s Liberation Army Astronaut Corps as one of the second batch of taikonauts. He subsequently underwent extensive basic astronaut training covering fundamental theory, physical fitness, space-environment adaptability and psychological training, among many other subjects, pushing his limits.

Although qualified to carry out missions, due to restrictions on flight task opportunities he did not fly immediately. In December 2019 he was selected for the Shenzhou 14 crew to participate in the on-orbit assembly work of China’s space station. On the station he carried out multiple extravehicular activities (EVAs), installing space debris protection devices, conducting equipment inspections and performing scientific experiments. The crew launched in June 2022; during the mission he completed the first entry into the Wentian laboratory module, extravehicular operations, Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations on the station, and science-popularization lectures as part of the “Tiangong Classroom,” among other important activities.

In October 2024, Cai served as commander of the Shenzhou 19 mission, together with Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, undertaking multiple EVAs and space-debris monitoring and other demanding tasks, setting several records including EVA count and duration. During the mission he also completed numerous equipment installations and maintenance tasks on the station and took part in multiple in-orbit rendezvous events. The mission concluded successfully on April 30, 2025, with all three astronauts returning safely.

On a personal level, Cai Xuzhe’s father is Cai Zhankui and his mother is Chen Xiaojun. His family also includes his wife Wang Yanqing, his sister Cai Xuna and brother-in-law Cai Pancheng. He has appeared publicly and in social activities multiple times and has received numerous honors such as “Model of the Times” and “Hero Astronaut.” In 2023 he was awarded the Third-Class Space Meritorious Medal and in 2025 the Second-Class Space Meritorious Medal.

Cai Xuzhe has distinguished himself in academics, career and public influence and is one of the important figures in China’s space program.