Looking Up (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Ma Fei's family was absent because his father Ma Haowen was imprisoned for a bridge collapse conviction, and his mother Xinyu had divorced him and moved on with another man. The family had been shattered by the scandal, leaving Ma Fei without stable family support during his historic space mission.

• ma fei family
• press conference
• space mission
• absent family

Ma Haowen was convicted of negligence because he was the chief engineer who designed the bridge that collapsed during a ceremony in 1990. Although he was innocent, the disaster destroyed his reputation, and he was sent to prison while the real saboteur escaped notice.

Foreshadowing: The bridge collapse in 1990 directly led to Ma Haowen's imprisonment and shaped the difficult childhood Ma Fei experienced.

• ma haowen convicted
• bridge collapse
• negligence
• prison

Lu Datou, Ma Haowen's former apprentice, sabotaged the bridge to frame Ma Haowen and take his position as chief engineer. Years later, Ma Haowen discovered this truth while eavesdropping on Lu's conversation, leading to a confrontation that finally vindicated him.

Foreshadowing: Lu Datou secretly helped Ma Haowen and his son throughout the years, which seemed generous but was actually motivated by guilt and a need to avoid suspicion.

• lu datou
• sabotage
• bridge collapse
• chief engineer

Ma Haowen believed that rote memorization was limiting his son's potential. He pulled Ma Fei out of Boyu High School to teach him through direct experience and real-world learning, wanting him to understand the world beyond textbooks and develop independent thinking.

Foreshadowing: This unconventional education approach reflected Ma Haowen's own engineering mindset and prepared Ma Fei for the critical thinking needed in space missions.

• ma haowen education
• ma fei school
• unconventional learning

Yan's son was once a top student who failed an important exam. Yan disowned him, causing the son to attempt suicide. He survived but suffered head injuries that left him mentally invalid. Yan kept this secret hidden behind his harsh treatment of other students, including Ma Fei, to mask his own failure as a father.

Foreshadowing: The insane man who disrupted the school grounds was revealed to be Yan's son, exposing the headmaster's personal tragedy and hypocrisy.

• headmaster yan
• son suicide
• mentally invalid
• school scandal

Lu Datou felt guilty for framing Ma Haowen and sabotaging the bridge. He secretly gave them a place to stay and offered Ma Haowen work under his own name, using this hidden generosity to ease his conscience while avoiding suspicion about his role in the original disaster.

Foreshadowing: Lu Datou's kindness seemed selfless but was actually motivated by his guilty conscience over the bridge sabotage.

• lu datou help
• guilt
• secret kindness
• apprentice

Ma Fei volunteered because the damaged radio antenna made it impossible for the spacecraft to communicate with Earth and return home. With only three days until their return window closed, someone had to go outside to inspect and repair the antenna, despite the danger and Gu Xinghe's initial refusal.

Foreshadowing: This decision reflected the independent thinking his father had taught him throughout his unconventional education.

• ma fei spacewalk
• eva
• antenna damage
• spacecraft communication

After years of hard work and his father's encouragement, Ma Fei graduated from high school and was accepted into aviation school. His essay, championed by teacher Gao Tianxiang, helped him secure a top-ten position that changed his academic trajectory and eventually led him to become an astronaut on the Shuguang No.16 mission.

Foreshadowing: Ma Haowen's belief in his son's potential, despite the family's troubled reputation, ultimately enabled Ma Fei's success.

• ma fei astronaut
• aviation school
• success
• gao tianxiang

Ma Haowen challenged headmaster Yan's decision to expel Ma Fei for skipping class because he believed his son deserved a second chance. He convinced Yan to let Ma Fei stay if he could rank in the top ten, demonstrating his refusal to accept the social stigma that had followed his family.

Foreshadowing: This public confrontation showed Ma Haowen's willingness to stand up to authority, a trait his son would later demonstrate in space.

• ma haowen challenge
• expulsion
• headmaster yan
• public confrontation

Ma Fei's essay, discovered by Gao Tianxiang in the principal's office, was so moving that it persuaded the teachers to give him a perfect score, securing a top-ten position. This allowed him to remain at Boyu High School and fulfill the bet his father had made with headmaster Yan.

Foreshadowing: The essay's success demonstrated that Ma Haowen's alternative education approach had developed genuine talent in his son.

• ma fei essay
• top ten
• teachers
• gao tianxiang

Lu Datou's generosity was actually self-serving. By helping Ma Haowen, he hoped to avoid any suspicion about his role in the bridge collapse. This apparent kindness was a calculated move to protect himself rather than a genuine act of compassion.

• lu datou motives
• suspicion
• self-interest
• kindness