Wang Jie
Wang Jie is a Chinese engineer and taikonaut selected in China's third astronaut group. His first spaceflight, Shenzhou 20, became historically notable because the crew launched on one Shenzhou spacecraft but returned on another after damage was found on their original return vehicle.
- Born
- September 1, 1989
- Died
- N/A
- Birthplace
- Urad Front Banner, Inner Mongolia,China
Flights
1
Spacewalks
N/A
EVA time
N/A
In space
203 days, 23 hours, 23 minutes
Bio
Wang was born in Inner Mongolia and studied aircraft manufacturing and mechanics before joining the Chinese human-spaceflight track. His background is more engineering-centered than the older fighter-pilot pattern that shaped many first-generation Chinese taikonauts.
Shenzhou 20 launched on April 24, 2025, with Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie for a long-duration Tiangong mission. The crew performed station operations, maintenance, research, and handover work during a stay that stretched past the original return plan.
In November 2025, suspected debris damage was found on the Shenzhou 20 return , so the crew returned safely aboard Shenzhou 21 on November 14, 2025. The episode made Wang part of China's first major crewed spacecraft contingency return.