Chinese women in space

In 2012, China became the third nation to send women into space with its own space program, after the Soviet Union/Russia and the United States, 49 years after the first female cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova.

Liu Yang, the first Chinese woman in space

History

Following the successful piloted flight of Shenzhou 5 in October 2003, China announced plans to send a woman into space as well. Gu Xiulian, president of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), told a gathering that she proposed that women, too, should be trained for space missions after China's first piloted space trip.

Initially, the criteria for women to be selected, included having been married, having had a child, having no bad health problems.[1] The marriage and having had children criteria were later said to have been dropped.[2]

On 16 June 2012, Major Liu Yang was the first Chinese woman launched into space aboard the Shenzhou 9 with two male counterparts to the Chinese space station Tiangong-1. Liu was not drawn from the fighter pilot cadre, but instead is a veteran PLAAF transport pilot. The mission took off at 6:37 p.m. (12:37 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert.[3] She launched on the 49th anniversary of the launch of Vostok 6, the first spaceshot of a woman, Valentina Tereshkova.[4]

On 16 June 2013, the 50th anniversary of the launch of Vostok 6, two women were in space, one of them Chinese, the second Chinese woman in space, Wang Yaping, aboard Tiangong-1 on the 3-man Shenzhou 10 mission, and Karen Nyberg on the 6-man Expedition 36 aboard the International Space Station.[5] The mission had lifted off on 11 June 2013.[6]

Zhou Chengyu, a 24-year-old Chinese astronaut, was a commander in the Chang'e-5 Moon exploration programme, a mission on moon, launched on 23 November 2020.[7]

List of Chinese women in space by mission
These women are Chinese who have flown into space
Name Mission Date Notes
Liu Yang Shenzhou 9 2012 Also first female Chinese mission to the Chinese space station
Wang Yaping Shenzhou 10 2013 Second Chinese women in space, and second one to Tiangong-1 space station

Firsts and records
Firsts
First Date Mission Name Notes
First Chinese woman in space 16 June 2012 Shenzhou 9 Liu Yang [8]
First Chinese woman in orbit 16 June 2012 Shenzhou 9 Liu Yang [9]
First Chinese woman aboard a space station 18 June 2012 Shenzhou 9 Liu Yang Liu Yang goes aboard Tiangong-1 space station.

[10]

First Chinese woman to spacewalk N/A N/A none
First Chinese woman to command a mission N/A N/A none
First Chinese woman to go on multiple missions N/A N/A none
Records
Title Data Taikonaut Notes
Longest time in space (single mission) 15 days
Shenzhou 10		 Wang Yaping
Longest time in space (cumulative) 15 days (Shenzhou 10) Wang Yaping
Shortest time in space (single mission) 13 days
Shenzhou 9		 Liu Yang At least 1-mission (zero-missions excluded)
Shortest time in space (cumulative) 13 days (Shenzhou 9) Liu Yang At least 1-mission (zero-missions excluded)
Longest time on EVA (single spacewalk) N/A none
Longest time on EVA (cumulative) N/A none
Shortest time on EVA (single spacewalk) N/A none At least 1-spacewalk (zero-spacewalks excluded)
Shortest time on EVA (cumulative) N/A none At least 1-spacewalk (zero-spacewalks excluded)
Most space missions 1 mission
Least space missions 1 mission At least 1-mission (zero-missions excluded)
Most EVAs N/A none
Least EVAs N/A none At least 1-spacewalk (zero-spacewalks excluded)

See also

Footnotes
  1. Mark MacKinnon (11 June 2012). "Want to be a female taikonaut in China? You better smell good, and no scars". Globe and Mail.
  2. "Exclusive interview: Astronauts selection process". CCTV. 16 June 2012. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  3. "June 16, 2012 7:07 AM PrintText China sends its first woman into space". CBS News. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  4. Clara Moskowit (15 June 2012). "China Unveils Astronaut Crew, 1st Female Spaceflyer, for Saturday Launch". Space.com. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  5. Ken Kremer (16 June 2013). "Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova; 1st Woman in Space 50 Years Ago! Ready for Mars". Universe Today.
  6. Andy Wong (11 June 2013). "Shenzhou 10 Launch: Chinese Spacecraft Blasts Off With Three Astronauts On 15-Day Mission". Huffington Post.
  7. "The woman behind China's Chang'e-5 Moon mission". BBC. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  8. Srinivas Laxman (16 June 2012). "Shenzhou-9 Launches into Space With China's First Woman Astronaut". Asian Scientist.
  9. Jason Davis (16 June 2012). "Shenzhou-9 reaches orbit". Planetary Society.
  10. Jonathan Amos (18 June 2012). "Shenzhou-9 docks with Tiangong-1". BBC News.

References
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