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)

History Created on 15th June 92 Young poor & Physically challenged Couples tied in a lifelong knot of Marriage “Free of Cost” Combined Marriage Function at Ramlila Ground on behalf of “Narayan Sewa Sansthan”. “Although we are unable to move without the support of a crutch or might take the help of others in performing every activity, still, we can afford to become a support for each other”. With this spirit, 92 young disabled and poor brides &bridegrooms promised to support each other throughout their life. The historical Ramliila Ground of Delhi became the witness of this mega event. Photo: Mass wedding in Delhi.

“When I was 8 years old, my parents paid a smuggler to take me across the Himalayas, a weekslong walk over the mountains from Tibet to India. It was a trek that tens of thousands of other Tibetans have taken since the Dalai Lama fled a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. My parents must have had their reasons to send me here; they must have had the best of intentions. But 18 years later, I still don't know why they did it. They are not political people. They are small farmers who raise barley and a few yak in a rural area not far from Lhasa, the Tibetan capital. I have not seen them since I left...”. – Tsering Topgyal via The Associated Press. (Photo by Tsering Topgyal/AP Photo)

Port staff check the damaged bridge cranes in Kaohsiung, southeast China's Taiwan on September 15, 2016. Kaohsiung Port saw facilities damage due to the effect of Typhoon Meranti. (Photo by Johnson Liu/Xinhua via ZUMA Wire)

A model presents a creation by Spanish designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada during the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Madrid, MBFWM, in Madrid, Spain, 16 September 2016. The MBFWM runs from 15 to 20 September 2016. (Photo by J.J. Guillen/EPA)

A female hippopotamus named “Mali”, which means Jasmine, eats fruits arranged to look like a cake during her 50th birthday celebration at Dusit Zoo in Bangkok, Thailand September 23, 2016. (Photo by Chaiwat Subprasom/Reuters)