Know the astronauts on Shenzhou XVIII mission

Ye Guangfu

Senior Colonel Ye Guangfu, 43, a first-grade astronaut, is the mission commander of the Shenzhou XVIII spaceflight, which is scheduled for launch on Thursday.

Ye, who is from Chengdu, Sichuan province, joined the People's Liberation Army in August 1998 and was assigned to a fighter jet regiment after graduation. He became a first-grade pilot at the combat unit.