Zhang Lu (Chinese: 张陆; born November 1976) is a Chinese pilot selected as part of the Shenzhou program.[2] He enlisted in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in August 1999, and joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in April 1999.
Zhang Lu
| |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
张陆
| |||||||
![]()
Zhang in November 2022
| |||||||
Born | November 1976 (age 47)
Hanshou County, Hunan, China
| ||||||
Status | Active | ||||||
Nationality | Chinese | ||||||
Alma mater | PLA Air Force Aviation University | ||||||
Space career | |||||||
PLAAC astronaut | |||||||
Previous occupation | ![]() | ||||||
Rank | Senior colonel, PLASSF | ||||||
Time in space | 186 days, 7 hours and 25 minutes | ||||||
Selection | Chinese Group 2 | ||||||
Total EVAs | 4 | ||||||
Total EVA time | 7 hours, 6 minutes (1st EVA only) ≥27 hours[1] | ||||||
Missions | Shenzhou 15 | ||||||
Children | one daughter | ||||||
Chinese name | |||||||
Simplified Chinese | 张陆 | ||||||
Traditional Chinese | 張陸 | ||||||
| |||||||
Zhang launched on the Shenzhou 15 mission to the Tiangong space station.
Zhang was born into a fisherman's family in Hanshou County, Hunan, in November 1976. He attended Chengguan No. 4 Primary School (城关四小), Zhanlepin Middle School (詹乐贫中学) and Hanshou County No. 1 High School (汉寿一中).[3] In 1981, at the age of 5, his family relocated to downtown Hanshou County, where they engaged in freshwater aquaculture.[4] Due to hard work and thrift, his family became a 10,000-Yuan-Household (万元户) in the early days of the Chinese economic reform.[4] In his early teens, he developed taste for singing.[5]
After graduating from the current PLA Air Force Aviation University in 2000, he became a fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force, and was selected to be an astronaut in May 2010.
Zhang married in 2003 and has a daughter.[6]