Ex-factory worker and engineer to make history as one of China’s first space passengers
A 73-year-old Chinese female entrepreneur has recently become the 22nd passenger of the domestically developed spacecraft CYZ1. On August 8, Huang Xiaochi was officially designated as passenger No 022 for CYZ1, a project by the commercial space start-up InterstellOr. Huang is scheduled to embark on a suborbital mission aboard the spaceship in 2028, reaching the Kármán line, the widely recognised…
In 2028, a remarkable 73-year-old Chinese woman, Huang Xiaochi, will become one of China's first space passengers, marking a historic milestone in the nation's space exploration endeavors. Huang, an accomplished entrepreneur and engineer, was officially designated as passenger No. 022 for the domestically developed spacecraft CYZ1, operated by the commercial space start-up InterstellOr.
Huang's journey to space began at Kelon, a prominent Chinese home appliance manufacturer, where she started her career in 1984 upon its founding in her hometown of Shunde, Foshan, in Guangdong province. Despite possessing only a secondary school education, Huang demonstrated exceptional determination and self-taught expertise in mechanical drawing, physics, chemistry, geometry, and English.
She climbed the ranks from quality control inspector to vice-president of engineering, leading her research and development team to create Kelon's first refrigerator and the first freon-free energy-saving fridge, earning her the prestigious State Science and Technology Progress Award twice.
In 2000, Huang was acknowledged as a national model worker. In 2002, after Kelon's acquisition by Greencool and then by the Hisense Group, she departed from the company and founded Guangdong Ritu Technology Inc., specializing in the development and production of Chinese navigation digital maps. The company's flagship product, Daodaotong, is among the earliest commercial GPS navigation maps and laid the groundwork for Baidu Maps, a leading digital mapping and navigation service in China.
Huang's determination and pragmatic spirit epitomize the local manufacturing sector in Shunde. She expressed her desire to travel to space at the age of 73 as simply wanting to "go have a look," akin to any other trip. Huang unexpectedly signed up for the space mission on the same day the Shenzhou 23 manned spacecraft launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on May 24, 2028. She had the opportunity to witness the launch of Lai Ka-ying, Hong Kong's first astronaut and a descendant of Shunde.
Huang's pioneering spirit and life achievements have earned her admiration from observers who describe her as having lived her life to the fullest.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
