China Launches Its First Female Astronaut Into Space
June 17th, 2012Via: PC Magazine:
China on Saturday launched its Shenzhou-9 spacecraft carrying three astronauts, including Liu Yang, the first Chinese woman to travel to space. The Long March-2F rocket lifted off successfully from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 6:37 p.m local time and the Shenzhou-9 capsule separated from its booster shortly thereafter and entered orbit.
Known as Taikonauts in China, Liu and her male traveling companions are embarking on a 13-day mission to rendezvous with the country’s Tiangong-1 space station module. This month’s undertaking marks an important step for the country’s space program. It is China’s first attempted manned docking mission with an orbiting spacecraft, a feat that has only been accomplished by the United States and Russia.
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has now sent eight astronauts into space, including two-time space traveler Jing Haipeng, who is onboard Shenzhou-9 with Liu Yang and Liu Wang, the third member of the crew.
The launch was televised in China by state-run CCTV.
