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Wan Hu

Wan Hu is a legendary Chinese official described in modern sources as possibly the first man to attempt to use a rocket to launch into outer space. Possibly depicted as the "world's first astronaut" and "the first martyr in man's struggle to achieve space flight", NASA named the crater Wan-Hoo on the far side of the Moon after him.

According to some Chinese sources, "Wan Hu" was a title granted to him by the imperial court during the early Ming dynasty, and his real name was Tao Chengdao. As a Ming official, he was interested in technological innovation, particularly concerning rockets. He is said to have died in 1390.

While the legend is well-known, there is no direct evidence surviving to substantiate it. According to Joseph Needham, the story is dubious and may be invented during or after the ''Chinoiserie'' period, considering the lack of firm historical reference. However, Li Chengzhi has argued for the story's plausibility, saying that it may have come from oral transmission by European missionaries who came to China during the late Ming and Qing dynasties, or based on records in an ancient Chinese document that has been subsequently lost. Provided by Wikipedia