Sun Laiyan

Sun Laiyan (simplified Chinese: 孙来燕; traditional Chinese: 孫來燕; pinyin: Sūn Láiyàn; born October 1957) is a Chinese scientist who served as the Administrator of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) from 2004 to 2010, when he was succeeded by Chen Qiufa.

Sun Laiyan was born in Beijing in October 1957. He attended Xi'an Jiaotong University majoring in cryogenic engineering. After graduating in 1982, he joined the Beijing Institute of Satellite Environment Engineering as an Engineering Team Leader. From 1987 to 1993 he attended Paris No. 6 University and received a Ph.D.. Moving back to China, he became first the deputy director and the director of the Institute of Satellite Environment Engineering. In 1999, he was made the Vice-Administrator of the CNSA and in 2001 the Secretary General of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (COSTIND). In 2004, he was appointed Vice-Minister for COSTIND and Administrator for CNSA.

He is married with one daughter.