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 boundary of Earth’s atmosphere where outer space begins, allowing her to view Earth from that vantage point.Other passengers announced for the inaugural CYZ1 flight include Li Licheng, an 85-year-old academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Qiu Heng, CMO of the robotics start-up AgiBot, and actor Johnny Huang Jingyu.Reports indicate that presale tickets for the spacecraft are priced at three million yuan (US$440,000) each.Reports suggest that presale tickets for the spacecraft are priced at three million yuan (US$440,000) each. Photo: BaiduBefore her anticipated journey into space, Huang Xiaochi has led an extraordinary life.Born in 1953 in Shunde, Foshan, in southern China’s Guangdong province, Huang joined Kelon, a prominent Chinese home appliance manufacturer, when it was founded in her hometown in 1984.Despite having only a secondary school education, she self-studied subjects like mechanical drawing, physics, chemistry, geometry, and English.Her dedication paved the way for her advancement from quality control inspector to vice-president of engineering at the company.Huang led her research and development team in creating Kelon’s first refrigerator, and they also developed China’s first freon-free energy-saving fridge, earning the State Science and Technology Progress Award twice for this accomplishment.In 2000, she was recognised as a national model worker.Despite holding only a secondary school education, she independently studied mechanical drawing, physics, chemistry, geometry, and English, earning recognition as a national model worker in 2000. The photo above showcases the awards she has garnered throughout her career. Photo: BaiduKelon was acquired by Greencool in 2001 and then by the Hisense Group in 2006.Further ReadingHuang departed from Kelon in 2002 and founded Guangdong Ritu Technology Inc. that same year at the age of 49.The company specialises in the development and production of Chinese navigation digital maps. Its 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 is regarded as a symbol of the pragmatic spirit of Shunde’s local manufacturing sector.When asked why she still wishes to travel to space at the age of 73, Huang provided a straightforward response: “I just want to go have a look, like any other trip.”China’s Long March 2F rocket, carrying three astronauts for the Shenzhou 20 manned space mission, is en route to a space station, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwestern China on April 24, 2025. Photo: AP/Andy WongShe signed up for the space mission one day before the launch of the Shenzhou 23 manned spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on May 24.Onboard the Shenzhou 23 was Lai Ka-ying, Hong Kong’s first astronaut and also a descendant of Shunde.Huang was present to witness this launch in Jiuquan, stating: “The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but we are unwilling to stay in the cradle forever.”“She has lived her life to the fullest,” remarked an online observer.