Actor Johnny Huang to become China's first celebrity space tourist

(ECNS) -- Chinese actor Johnny Huang Jingyu will become China's first celebrity space tourist, flying as passenger No. 009 aboard a domestically developed spacecraft CYZ1, its developer "interstellOr" announced on its Weibo account Thursday.

Huang is scheduled to fly on CYZ-1 in 2028 on a suborbital mission, during which he will cross the Kármán line — the internationally recognized boundary of space—and view Earth from orbit.

The post released on Jan. 22, 2026, shows Chinese actor Johnny Huang Jingyu will fly into space. (Screenshot from the Weibo account of the company "interstellor")

The first group of more than 20 confirmed passengers includes academicians, business executives, and silicon-based robots, according to the company.

The inaugural flight is subject to technical testing and regulatory approval.

CYZ-1 is China's first commercial crewed spacecraft and is expected to conduct its maiden crewed flight in 2028, the company said.

The spacecraft has begun preselling tickets, with each seat priced at 3 million yuan (about $430,194 ). A 10 percent deposit is required to secure a reservation.

(By Gong Weiwei)