China’s first woman astronaut successfully soars into space
BEIJING (AFP) — As a child, Liu Yang once wanted to be a bus conductor and later had her sights set on becoming a lawyer, but decades later she has traveled into space as China’s first ever female astronaut.
It was a visit by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to her school in central China that changed young Liu’s mind as she realized she wanted to become a pilot -- a decision that eventually saw her take on the historic role.
Liu, 33, along with two other crew members, Jing Haipeng and Liu Wang, returned safely from Earth after a 13- day mission to an orbiting module that is a prototype for a future station.
“Tiangong 1, our home in space, was comfortable and pleasant. We’re very proud of our nation,” Liu Yang told national broadcaster Friday.
“From day one I have been told I am no different from the male astronauts,” Liu, a trained pilot who is married but has no children, said in comments carried by state media.
Liu first joined the army in 1997, and has racked up 1,680 flying hours since then, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
She was recruited as a prospective astronaut in May 2010
before being confirmed as one of six candidates shortlisted for the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft mission three months ago.
China is the third country after the Soviet Union and United States to send a woman into space using its own technology.
In a previous interview, Liu said she was very excited to go to space.
“As much as possible, I would like to experience the weightless environment of space, appreciate the beauty of Earth, to see our beautiful home,” Liu — a keen cook who likes to make “cola chicken wings” — told reporters.
“I will record my own feelings and experiences, and bring them back to share with everyone.”
But as a child, Liu did not dream of the stars, and instead wanted to become “a lawyer like the ones in television series,” according to Xinhua.
“The first time she sat on a bus with her mother, she also thought becoming a bus conductor would be great, as she could ride the bus every day,” it said.
Decades later, she has become a national heroine, and her mission is being excitedly followed in the Chinese media and on the country’s popular microblogs.
State broadcaster CCTV said Liu was selected for her “excellent skills and psychological qualities.”
She was once praised for her cool handling of an incident when her jet hit a flock of pigeons, but she was still able to land the heavily damaged aircraft.
Liu is married with no children.
State media has said that China requires female astronauts to be married and preferably have a child, due to concerns over potential exposure to radiation that could harm their fertility.
In a CCTV interview, she expressed her gratitude to her husband and said she felt “very guilty” that she had not been able to spend time with her family due to months of training that saw her rehearse for the mission 16 hours a day.
“He has been very supportive of me,” Liu said. “I am very thankful to him.”
She said she‘ s ready to discuss having children now that she’s back from space.
“I love children and life.