04 June 2013
As by many space analysts expected, Wang Yaping, 35, a former air force pilot, will become the second Chinese woman in space after Liu Yang, who was on board the Shenzhou-9 mission in 2012. Wang and her colleagues will work on an orbiting space lab module for 15 days, said Zhang Jianqi, Director General of the China Space Foundation and former deputy commander of the manned space programme. Shenzhou 10 will dock with the orbiting lab module Tiangong 1 several times. "The three astronauts will stay in orbit for 15 days, including 12 days when they will work inside the coupled complex of the Shenzhou-10 and Tiangong-1," said Zhou Jianping, the program's head designer. Research will be conducted on the astronauts' ability to adapt to the environment in the module. Tests will also be made on repairs and other key technologies necessary for a space station.
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