China will send its first woman into space when an airforce pilot joins a three-member team of astronauts on the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft which blasts off on Saturday.
Liu Yang, a pilot who successfully averted a mid-air accident after her flight was hit by 18 pigeons, would be part of the team that would perform China's first manned space docking, in preparation for Beijing's plan to setup a permanent space station.
‘33-year-old Liu will be part of the crew of Shenzhou-9 which would be launched on Saturday form the Jiuquan space base in China's north Gobi desert,’ according to an announcement by China's manned space docking programme headquarters.
Liu's mission will make China the third country after Russia and the US to send a woman into space. When successful, this will be China's fourth manned space launch.
Liu Yang, a pilot who successfully averted a mid-air accident after her flight was hit by 18 pigeons, would be part of the team that would perform China's first manned space docking, in preparation for Beijing's plan to setup a permanent space station.
‘33-year-old Liu will be part of the crew of Shenzhou-9 which would be launched on Saturday form the Jiuquan space base in China's north Gobi desert,’ according to an announcement by China's manned space docking programme headquarters.
Liu's mission will make China the third country after Russia and the US to send a woman into space. When successful, this will be China's fourth manned space launch.