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| Johnny Huang Confirmed as China’s Commercial Space Tourist, Flight Planned for 2028 (Photo: InterstellOR/Weibo) |
Johnny Huang Jingyu is officially heading beyond Earth. The Chinese actor has been announced as one of China’s earliest commercial space tourists, marking a headline-grabbing crossover between entertainment, technology, and the country’s fast-moving space ambitions.
The announcement was confirmed on 22 January by Beijing ChuanYueZhe Manned Space Technology Co., Ltd., known publicly as interstellOr. Johnny Huang has been assigned space tourist number 009 and is scheduled to take part in a future manned mission aboard a Chinese-built spacecraft, currently targeted for launch in 2028.
In a pre-recorded video released alongside the news, Johnny Huang shared his pride at representing China on a commercial space journey and described the experience as a personal honour rather than just a career milestone.
According to interstellOr, Johnny Huang will fly on ChuanYueZhe Yihao, also known as CYZ1, which is expected to become China’s first commercial crewed spacecraft.
The company has already opened ticket reservations, with each seat priced at around 3 million yuan, while a 10 per cent deposit is enough to lock in a place.
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More than ten passengers from fields including academia, business, aerospace, arts, entertainment, and digital media have reportedly signed contracts so far.
A company representative later explained that Huang’s selection was closely linked to his public image. Known for portraying resilient and disciplined characters, and for starring in a science-fiction space-themed drama titled Sea of Dreams, Huang was seen as a natural match for the company’s forward-looking brand identity and vision.
The CYZ1 spacecraft is designed to carry passengers to an altitude of around 100 kilometres above Earth, reaching the Kármán Line. Travellers are expected to experience weightlessness for approximately five to ten minutes during the suborbital flight.
On 18 January, the test version of CYZ1 successfully completed a full landing and shock-absorption system validation, positioning ChuanYueZhe among a small group of global commercial companies that have verified this key technology for manned spacecraft.
ChuanYueZhe was founded in January 2023 and focuses on developing reusable crewed spacecraft and operating commercial space tourism services.
The company’s roadmap is ambitious: suborbital flights are planned around 2028, orbital missions are targeted for 2032 with multi-day stays in space, and lunar-orbit missions are being discussed for around 2038.
Executives have also stated that ticket prices are expected to gradually decrease as technology matures and operations scale up.
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The passenger list already reflects a diverse mix of backgrounds, including engineering experts, business leaders, poets, aerospace executives, and well-known space enthusiasts from social media. Back in 2023, China’s first independently purchased commercial space ticket went to a robotics industry executive, highlighting early interest from tech innovators.
Online reactions to Johnny Huang’s announcement have been split but lively. Supporters praised the move as inspiring and symbolic, saying it brings space exploration closer to everyday people and younger fans.
Others questioned whether celebrities should take part so early, while some focused on the high ticket price and what it says about the future accessibility of space tourism. Still, many netizens agreed on one thing: seeing a familiar public figure linked to China’s space ambitions makes the idea feel suddenly more real.
Commercial space travel moving from concept to countdown, Johnny Huang’s upcoming journey is shaping up to be more than a personal adventure. It is becoming a talking point about technology, national pride, and who gets to touch the stars first. What do you think—would you sign up if the price drops, or is space still a dream best watched from Earth?