 Shenzhou 5 spacecraft mockup and parachute displayed at theNational Museum of China | |
| Operator | CMSA |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 2003-045A |
| SATCATno. | 28043 |
| Mission duration | 21 hours, 22 minutes, 45 seconds |
| Orbits completed | 14 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Shenzhou |
| Launch mass | 7,790 kilograms (17,170 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 1 |
| Members | Yang Liwei |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 15 October 2003, 01:00:03 (2003-10-15UTC01:00:03Z) UTC |
| Rocket | Long March 2F |
| Launch site | JiuquanLA-4/SLS-1 |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 15 October 2003, 22:22:48 (2003-10-15UTC22:22:49Z) UTC |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 332 kilometers (206 mi; 179 nmi) |
| Apogee altitude | 336 kilometers (209 mi; 181 nmi) |
| Inclination | 42.4 degrees |
| Period | 91.2 minutes |
 Yang Liwei | |
Shenzhou 5 (Chinese:神舟五号;pinyin:Shénzhōu Wǔ Hào, see§ Etymology) was the firsthuman spaceflight mission of theChinese space program, launched on 15 October 2003. TheShenzhou spacecraft was launched on aLong March 2F launch vehicle. There had been four previous flights of uncrewed Shenzhou missions since 1999. China became the fourth country in the world to have independent human spaceflight capability after theSoviet Union, the United States and Russia. As of February 2026, this mission marks the last time an astronaut was launched alone to conduct an entirely solo orbital mission.
| Position | Crew member | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander |  Yang LiweiOnly spaceflight | |
Shenzhou 5 was launched at 09:00 (UTC+08:00) fromJiuquan Satellite Launch Center, a launch base in theGobi Desert inGansu province, enteringorbit 343 kilometres (213 mi; 185 nmi) above Earth at 09:10 (UTC+08:00) withastronautYang Liwei, a 38-year-old lieutenant colonel in thePeople's Liberation Army and former fighter pilot. Thespace launch made China the third country to independently launch a person intoouter space, after theSoviet Union and the United States. The launch of the Shenzhou was the result of a crewed space program which began in 1992.[3]
Neither the launch nor thereentry was televised live, but the time of both launch and reentry had been widely announced beforehand, and news appeared onChina Central Television within minutes after both events.
The Shenzhou spacecraft made 14 orbits and landed 21 hours after launch. It reenteredEarth's atmosphere at 06:04 (UTC+08:00) on 16 October 2003 (22:04 UTC 15 Oct 2003), its parachute opened normally and the astronaut said he was feeling fine. The landing happened at 06:28 (UTC+08:00), just 4.8 km (3.0 mi) from the planned landing site inInner Mongolia, according to the government. Theorbital module of the spacecraft stayed in orbit; it continued with automated experiments until 16 March 2004 and decayed on 30 May.[4]
PremierWen Jiabao congratulated the country's first person in space after his safe return to Earth. Yang emerged from thereentry capsule about 15 minutes later and waved to members of the recovery team.[5]
TheBeijing Aerospace Command and Control Center later declared China's first crewed spacecraft mission to be successful after Yang Liwei emerged from his capsule.[5]
During the flight Yang worediapers. When questioned about his experience aboard Shenzhou 5, he stated "Better not to piss in diaper...Baby doesn't like it, neither does an adult."[6]
In addition, Yang reported abnormal vibrations that appeared 120 seconds after launch (pogo oscillation), which he described as "very uncomfortable".[7] As a consequence, corrective measures were taken to the design of the followingCZ-2F carrier rocket for theShenzhou 6 flight.[7]
The launch was widely heralded in the official Chinese state media with newspapers devoting far more space to the launch than any recent event. While the Chinese media portrayed the launch as a triumph for Chinese science and technology, it has also been pointed out in both Chinese and Western media that Yang Liwei showed theflag of the United Nations in addition to theflag of the People's Republic of China.[8][9] The state media also reported that crop seeds fromTaiwan were brought aboard the spacecraft.[10] Both the Chief Executives ofHong Kong andMacau sent letters congratulating all the people involved in the mission and also the central government.[11][12]
General Secretary andPresidentHu Jintao, in an official celebration at theGreat Hall of the People, hailed China's success in launching its first crewed spacecraft into orbit, describing it as "an honour for our great motherland, an indicator for the initial victory of the country's first crewed space flight and for an historic step taken by the Chinese people in their endeavor to surmount the peak of the world's science and technology".[13]
Hu added, "The Party and the people will never forget those who have set up this outstanding merit in the space industry for the motherland, the people and the nation". He also expressed congratulations and respect to specialists and people who have contributed to China's space mission development on behalf of theCPC Central Committee, theState Council and theCentral Military Commission.[13]
The launch was met with praise from around the world. Japanese Prime MinisterJunichiro Koizumi called the launch "a great feat".[14] United States PresidentGeorge W. Bush congratulated Chinese President Hu and wished China continued success.[15] A spokesperson for theUnited States Department of State said that the United States wished to "applaud China's success in becoming only the third country to launch people into space".[16] NASA AdministratorSean O'Keefe called Shenzhou 5 an "important achievement in human exploration" and wished China "a continued safe human space flight program".[15]
The spacecraft has since featured prominently in festivities and celebrations not only in China but also in foreign countries, such as official North Korean commemorative stamps showing the first Chinese crewed spacecraft alongside North Korea's first satelliteKwangmyŏngsŏng-1.[17]
