Gui's path to space came through academia rather than military aviation. He became associated with Beihang University's aerospace engineering community before selection for China's third astronaut group.

On Shenzhou 16, Gui flew to the Tiangong space station — open definition with Jing Haipeng and Zhu Yangzhu. He became China's first civilian taikonaut and the first Chinese payload specialist to fly.

His mission marked a broadening of China's human-spaceflight corps, bringing university-based research and payload operations into routine Tiangong station work.

Shenzhou 16 launched on May 30-October 31, 2023 aboard Shenzhou spacecraft, with Haichao serving as Payload Specialist. This mission context is drawn from the linked agency or institutional flight material and distinguishes flown service from training or backup assignments.