China's First Woman in Space: Q&A with Astronaut Liu Yang

China's first female astronaut Liu Yang, an Air Force major, salutes to reporters during a press conference on the eve of her June 16, 2012 launch with two crewmates on the Shenzhou 9 mission to the Tiangong 1 space lab. (Image credit: China Ministry of National Defense)

NAPLES, Italy - On June 16, 33-year-old Liu Yang became the first Chinese woman to reach space when she and two male crewmates blasted off aboard the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft.

Two days later, the three astronauts — or taikonauts, as they're known in China — hooked up with the robotic Tiangong 1 module, pulling off China's first-ever manned space docking. Another manned mission to Tiangong 1 — called Shenzhou 10 — is planned for next year, and Liu may be selected for that flight as well.

During the Shenzou 9 briefing at the Congress and at a press conference shortly afterward, Liu answered journalists’ questions. Here are some of the questions she was asked, and what she said in response. [Female Space Explorers (Infographic)]

Was your flight an important achievement for Chinese women?

Liu: I am so honored to be performing this space mission on behalf of all the Chinese spacewomen and earn their trust and support.

When is your next mission?

Liu: My flight schedule is closely connected with the country’s development program. The next mission will come soon, and whether [or not] I am selected for the next mission I am preparing all the time for the country’s selection.

What duties do you have and what training are you undertaking for the next two to three years?

Liu: My duty now is to do more training and preparation work, and my additional duty is to exchange experiences with others and learn through each other because I have the flight experience. I think now more of my duties are to train for future missions.

The crew of China's Shenzhou 9 mission waves to a camera aboard the Tiangong 1 space module after successfully docking their capsule at the test module on June 18, 2012, in this still from a state-run TV broadcast on CNTV The crew is (from left) Liu Wang, Liu Yang (China's first female astronaut), and mission commander Jing Haipeng. (Image credit: CNTV)

Were you aware that other people were in orbit along with you, aboard the International Space Station?

Liu: I think we could sense all the others in the universe, and during our mission I think we all sensed being in space with other astronauts in orbit. We also sent our greetings to them [the International Space Station crew] when we were in orbit.

What do you think of this conference?

Liu: We can learn and exchange from each other, and the Congress is a good channel through which people can communicate with common goals. The Congress pushes forward the development of the technologies that will benefit mankind. It’s a very meaningful event.

Cooperation is the theme of this meeting. Why is cooperation important?

Liu: International cooperation is very necessary. The Chinese have the saying, "When all the people collect the wood, you will make a great fire." So international cooperation can help us to join our efforts together to have a better exploration of the universe and accelerate our exploration steps.

How did your training prepare you for the microgravity environment in space?

Liu: Our training schedule is reviewed and certified by a lot of expertise, and we got a lot of useful information. I feel all my training is very practical and meaningful and has helped me have a better mission. Performing tai chi in space — it is comfortable, we got more outer space chi.

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