China has sent its first woman into space on a mission to dock with an orbiting station, the latest step in an ambitious programme to go to the moon and on to Mars.

Photo: China's first female astronaut Liu Yang, waves during a sending off ceremony before she departs for the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft rocket launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, China, Saturday, June 16, 2012. China will send its first woman and two other astronauts into space Saturday to work on a temporary space station for about a week, in a key step toward becoming only the third nation to set up a permanent base in orbit. (Photo by Ng Han Guan/AP Photo)

No. 10: Sphynx. A suede-like coat is the sphynx's most unmistakable feature, but he's also curious, smart and a clown who craves applause for his antics. In fact, he loves attention so much that you may want to consider getting him a fellow sphynx playmate. (Photo by Quentin Descotte)

“Body blading (also known as buggy rollin') is an extreme sport that involves descending down a slope while wearing a flexible aerodynamic plastic roller suit that has wheels on the feet, knees, torso, and arms. This suit was created by Jean-Yves Blondeau, and he is one of the premier body bladers. Body blading is similar to roller blading, and in fact a body blader often starts out using the rollers on their feet in the same fashion as roller blades in order to gain initial speed, but then the rider generally assumes a position laying on the stomach facing down the hill. A body blader is capable of reaching very high speeds. Maneuverability is achieved by moving the body into various positions to change direction”. – Wikipedia

Photo: French designer Jean-Yves Blondeau demonstrates his “Buggy Rollin” suit during a performance on August 16, 2007 in Beijing, China. Blondeau is able to roll along in any position and can achieve high speeds wearing the suit. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

A devotee carrying an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, jumps into the Sabarmati river to immerse the idol during the 10-day-long Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Ahmedabad, India, September 11, 2016. (Photo by Amit Dave/Reuters)

Brush fires in Everglades National Park, Florida make for a dramatic Milky Way in this panorama. A photographer set out to inspire awe in nature's wonders through the tropical wetlands of Florida. (Photo by Mark Andrew Thomas/Rex Feature/Shutterstock)

The Pioneer Team, a civil aerobatic team from Italy, let off pyrotechnics from their Pioneer 330 aircraft during the Malta International Airshow off SmartCity Malta, outside Valletta, Malta, September 24, 2016. (Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters)

Members of different tribes of the Maroon community, descendants of runaway slaves, compete in the 3rd Poolo Boto (beautiful boat) competition as part of the Moengo Festival of Music in Marowijne district, northern Suriname, September 23, 2016. (Photo by Ranu Abhelakh/Reuters)

Nicaraguan army members carry a participant playing the role of a victim during a national multi-hazard drill organized by the National System for Prevention, Mitigation and Attention to Disasters (SINAPRED), in the 30 de Mayo neighborhood in Managua, Nicaragua, September 26, 2016. (Photo by Oswaldo Rivas/Reuters)