Not all rocket engineers get to strap in and fly into space, but Wang Haojie has made the exciting leap.
Wang, who used to develop system parameters for rocket engines, is on the Shenzhou-19 space mission with two other crew members, becoming the first female space engineer in the country.
The Shenzhou-19 spacecraft aboard a Long March-2F rocket was launched at 4:27 a.m. (Beijing time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China.
Born in 1990 in Luangping County, North China’s Hebei Province, Wang entered Southeast University to study thermal power and power engineering after passing the entrance exams.
After obtaining her master’s degree, Wang joined the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and began her career in rocket engine research.
Later, she participated in the selection process for the country’s third batch of astronauts – and was eventually selected as the only woman in the batch.
After being selected, Wang and her peers were pushed beyond their physical and mental limits during training.
During the extravehicular activity training, the astronauts donned spacesuits weighing more than 100 kilograms, simulating the complex maneuvers required to exit the spacecraft. The pressure in the spacesuits was 0.4 atmospheres, and every movement was difficult for Wang. With the helmet on, her head mobility was restricted and her visibility narrowed, forcing her to rely on a wrist mirror to see beyond this limited range.
Inserting the hose connector into two tiny slots on her belt while wearing the bulky suit was also no small feat. “My hands could barely reach the targets, and I couldn’t see well. Wearing thick gloves, I lost my sense of touch, and after several attempts, my hands could not gain strength,” Wang recalls.
Determined to improve, she asked for additional practice with an instructor and worked hard to carefully polish her grip, mirror angle, and body position. Gradually, she found the right technique, turning a once challenging task into a smooth, fluid movement.
Wang had her own style of self-motivation during the training: she wrote a summary after each major training project to preserve her experience and boost her confidence.
“From the scorching sunshine to the piercing rain, I experienced the extreme temperature fluctuations in the desert, which could vary by tens of degrees Celsius. However, I also appreciated the romantic moments spent lying on the umbrella fabric, watching the sparkling galaxy above,” she wrote after the 48-hour desert survival training.
In another report on her maritime training, Wang noted: “The wind and waves made by the helicopter crashed against my body. Even when my back was turned, I could feel the roaring wind knocking on the back of my head and the waves hitting my ears.”
In 2023, Wang was selected to participate in the Shenzhou-19 space mission, during which the crew had to perform intense tasks.
Wang, the third Chinese woman to participate in a manned space flight, is mainly responsible for space experimentation projects and space station materials and affairs management.
“From a rocket engine designer to a space engineer, my identity has changed, but my unwavering commitment to serving my country through space exploration has remained the same,” Wang concluded.
