Yang Liwei to announce shock retirement?

Sad news for Liwei fans. Speculation had been rife that first Chinese astronaut in space will announce his retirement from all public activities, at age 60, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 17/06/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being an astronaut isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being an astronaut just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouYang

For a little while on Tuesday evening, #ThankYouYang was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“You’ve accomplished everything I ever dreamed of #ThankYouYang.”
— @DesireePlum, 16 Jun 2026

“I thought Yang Liwei retired about 5 years ago?!?”
— @millythom, 16 Jun 2026

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