Shenzhou 5

Shenzhou 5 was China's first crewed spaceflight and the mission that made Yang Liwei the first Chinese astronaut launched by China's own human-spaceflight program. The spacecraft launched from Jiuquan on October 15, 2003 atop a Long March 2F rocket, with Yang selected from the first astronaut team shortly before flight. CMSA describes the mission as a test of the crewed environment, astronaut living and safety conditions, spacecraft reliability, system coordination, and procedures for both automatic and manual return capability. In orbit, Yang monitored spacecraft operations, followed planned onboard procedures, communicated with the ground, and displayed Chinese and United Nations flags. The spacecraft completed 14 orbits before the return capsule landed safely in Inner Mongolia, while the orbital module remained in space for long-duration experiments. Shenzhou 5 made China the third country to independently send a human into orbit and set the foundation for later Shenzhou and Tiangong missions.