China will send Women to Space

The first Chinese female astronaut (taikonaut) will go into space over the next two years, participating in the installation of the country's first space station, announced today the official press.

"Most likely, women astronauts will be involved in the procedures manual docking in experimental modules (space station)," said a Chinese expert on the subject of Tiangong -1, the first of these modules, which will be launched on Thursday .

In 2010, the first time, two women joined the list of new seven astronauts from China, after three years they will be able to participate in a special mission.

Both are married and mothers, with more than thirty years old, and "their training standards are equal to men," said the press.

The first woman astronaut story was Russian Valentina Tereshkova, in 1963.

Since then, over 54 women, mostly American, have participated in space missions.

In China's manned space program began only in 2003, with astronaut Yang Liwei.

Four years ago, Zhai Zhigang left the ship to make the first spacewalk and if all goes as scheduled, the first Chinese space station will be operational in 2020.