Monday, June 18, 2012

China Launches 1st Female Astronaut

Five hundred years after Wan Hu (China's first "astronaut" -- see earlier post), China launched its first female astronaut on Saturday. Liu Yang follows in the footsteps of Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who was the first woman in space 49 years ago. The term "taikonaut" is frequently used to describe Chinese space travelers. It is a combination of the Chinese word "taikong" ("space"), and the Greek word "naut" ("sailor").

Link to the article about Liu Yang's mission:
http://www.livescience.com/21026-china-launches-1st-female-astronaut-shenzhou-9.html

Link to infographic about women in space:
http://www.livescience.com/19879-female-space-explorers-infographic.html

Peggy

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