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)

A person dressed as cartoon character Homer Simpson sits on an NYPD security barricade in Times Square as preparations are made for New Years Eve in New York December 29, 2014. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Reuters)

A giant Iron Man statue stands next to a replica Sphinx in Chuzhou, Anhui Province, China on February 21, 2017. (Photo by Sipa Asia/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Two F-15E Strike Eagles wait to receive fuel from a KC-135R Stratotanker during exercise Red Flag 15-1 on their way to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Jauary 23, 2015. The F-15s are assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing. U.S. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron J. Jenne/Reuters)

Fans of the Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura enjoy their showo at the main stage of Rock in Rio festival 2019 at the Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 4, 2019. The week-long Rock in Rio festival started September 27, with international stars as headliners, over 700,000 spectators and social actions including the preservation of the Amazon. (Photo by Mauro Pimentel/AFP Photo)

A woman prays during a Sarwan Brata (fast) offering to Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of creation and destruction, at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, 21 July 2025. Nepalese Hindu women wearing red, yellow and green attire, flock to temples during Sarwan month to pray for a long and prosperous life for their husbands, or to find a good husband. (Photo by Narendra Shrestha/EPA)

Hundreds of colourful pumpkins and squash create an extraordinary rainbow scene at a vegetable wholesale market in Bangladesh on August 1, 2019. A seller sits among his vibrant wares which are produced by farmers from local villages. (Photo by Abdul Momin/Solent News)

Mount Whaleback iron ore mine 23°21’32.3”S, 119°40’40.1”E. The Mount Whaleback Iron Ore Mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Roughly 98% of the world’s mined iron ore is used to make steel and is thus a significant component in the construction of buildings, automobiles, and appliances such as refrigerators. (Photo by Daily Overview/DigitalGlobe, a Maxar Company)