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Today in History: Liu Yang becomes first Chinese woman in space

6/16/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On 16 June 2012, Chinese pilot Liu Yang launched aboard Shenzhou 9, becoming China’s first woman in space. The mission, the fourth crewed Shenzhou flight, docked with the Tiangong-1 station on 18 June and returned to Inner Mongolia on 29 June, marking a milestone for China’s human-space program.

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Story summary

On 16 June 2012, Chinese pilot Liu Yang launched aboard Shenzhou 9, becoming China’s first woman in space. The mission, the fourth crewed Shenzhou flight, docked with the Tiangong-1 station on 18 June and returned to Inner Mongolia on 29 June, marking a milestone for China’s human-space program.