NEW : Liu Yang has been selected to join two male astronauts , Jing Haipeng and Liu Wang , as part of a three-person crew aboard the Shenzhou-9 , according to China 's manned space docking program , which says the mission will last 10 days . Liu Yang wins coveted spot to be China 's first woman in space . The Chinese government has announced that it will launch a female astronaut into orbit by the end of this year -- and it's not just any woman. China aims to be third nation to perform a space docking . China aspires to build a space station and conduct manned mission to the moon .
NEW : Liu Yang wins coveted spot to be China 's first woman in space . The Chinese government has announced that it will launch a female astronaut into orbit by the end of this year -- and it's not just any woman. China aims to be third nation to perform a space docking . China aspires to build a space station and conduct manned mission to the moon .