Colonel Wang Yaping is a Chinese military pilot and astronaut. Wang was the second female astronaut to be named by the CNSA, and the second Chinese woman in space. She was a candidate for the space mission Shenzhou 9 in 2012. However, Liu Yang was selected over her for the historic mission of the first Chinese female space traveller. Wang was a member of the backup crew for SZ-9. Wang became the second Chinese female astronaut as a member of the Shenzhou 10 spaceship crew, which orbited the earth in June 2013, and of the Tiangong-1 orbiting space station with which it docked. She was the first member of the crew announced, in April, while the remainder of the crew were announced in June. Wang Yaping was one of two women in space on the 50th anniversary of Vostok 6, the first spaceflight by a woman, Valentina Tereshkova. The other woman in space on 16 June 2013 was Karen Nyberg, an American astronaut aboard the International Space Station. While aboard Tiangong-1, Wang conducted scientific experiments and taught a physics lesson to Chinese students by live television broadcast.

Long March 2F/G | Shenzhou-10

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | China
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
June 11, 2013, 9:38 a.m.

Status: Success

Mission:

This isthe fifth crewed mission for China's Shenzhou program which lasted 15 days. Shenzhou-10 began its mission by bringing Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang and Wang Yaping to the Tiangong-1 space station. During their 12-day stay at the station astronauts conducted space medicine and technological experiments, and Wang Yaping gave a lecture for over 60 million Chinese students. On 23 June undocked from the station and performed manual re-docking procedure, which was one of the objectives of the mission. On 25 June Shenzhou-10 undocked from the station and landed safely on the morning of the next day.

Low Earth Orbit

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Long March 2F/G | Shenzhou 13

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | China
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Oct. 15, 2021, 4:23 p.m.

Status: Success

Mission:

Second crewed flight to the Chinese Tiangong space station carrying Zhai Zhigang, commander, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu, operators, on their second, second and first spaceflight respectively. Their mission duration onboard the TSS is 6 months, the longest so far in Chinese spaceflight.

Low Earth Orbit

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