Chinese women forge key contributions to space exploration

BEIJING -- A new generation of female talent, from astronauts to chief designers, is forging crucial contributions to China's space exploration endeavors, supported by national policies promoting gender equality in sci-tech innovation.

The story of Wang Yaping, the first female astronaut to enter China's space station, is a case in point. Her space dream was ignited in 2003 when China sent its first taikonaut Yang Liwei into space. "I watched the bright rocket flame on TV, and an idea flashed through my mind -- China now has a male taikonaut, when will there be a female one?" Wang said.

Through arduous efforts, she became a crew member of the Shenzhou-10 space mission in 2013. Wang, who once dreamed of being a teacher, delivered a 40-minute open class, China's first live space lecture, from the spaceship on June 20, 2013 -- to over 60 million students nationwide.

The impact of that lesson extended far beyond the classroom. "I've received many letters from children and young people. One that impressed me most was from a Beihang University postgraduate," she recalled.

This letter was written by a woman six years after she watched Wang explaining gyroscope principles from space. The woman revealed in the letter that she was studying the same principles in her university laboratory, six years after seeing Wang delivering her class. "This is the very meaning of our space class -- to plant the seeds of scientific and space dreams in children's hearts," Wang said.

In November 2021, meanwhile, Wang's extravehicular activities during the Shenzhou-13 mission made her the first Chinese female to conduct a spacewalk.

Her achievements, notably, are paved with the same rigorous training undertaken by male astronauts.

Wang said that space has never changed its environment or lowered its threshold because of the arrival of women -- and that ample flight data show that there are no significant differences between males and females in their ability to adapt and work in space.

"It is the concept of gender equality that has given me the opportunity to carry out two space flight missions and realize my dreams," Wang noted. "It is conceivable that more and more women will participate in manned spaceflight missions. It will have a very important impact on the large-scale and long-term human exploration of space in the future."

Standing firmly behind astronauts like Wang is another woman -- Huang Weifen, chief designer of the China manned space program's astronaut system.

In 1992, when China's manned space program was officially approved, the task of selecting and training astronauts fell to the then 28-year-old Huang. With no existing system to follow, she designed China's first comprehensive astronaut training plan in just three months -- a blueprint that laid the foundation for the nation's astronaut preparation efforts for over two decades.

Under Huang's stewardship, a sophisticated training regime encompassing over 100 subjects across eight categories was developed.

The pioneering nature of her work brought immense challenges, and Huang has admitted to moments of tears behind closed doors. "But after crying, I would go back to work with full force, solving one problem after another. Thinking that I am doing this for the country and the nation, I immediately feel revived. I have never thought of giving up."

Her task, though not in the public eye, is her driving force. "My mission is to cultivate more and better astronauts for the country, to enable them to fly with our dreams and complete hard work," she said. "Safeguarding their spaceflight is my purpose."

This synergy between the visible heroine and the unseen mastermind is bolstered by a national framework of institutional support. As highlighted in the recently released white paper "China's Achievements in Women's Well-Rounded Development in the New Era," China has implemented a series of measures to support female sci-tech talent in undertaking national projects and participating in decision-making, and to improve their evaluation and incentive mechanisms. Support measures include the National Natural Science Foundation of China easing the age limit for female applicants.

Such initiatives reduce pressure in taking care of children and families that women working in science and technology experience, support their devotion to research work, and allow them to balance family and career, said Wang, who is also a part-time vice president of the All-China Women's Federation.

According to the white paper, there were 2.846 million women in China's research and development sector in 2024 -- an increase of 1.692 million from 2012. Women now account for 45.8 percent of China's sci-tech workers.

Wang and Huang are not the only female contributors to the country's space quest. This list also includes the likes of Liu Yang, China's first female astronaut, Zhang Yuhua, deputy commander-in-chief of the Chang'e-5 lunar probe system and deputy commander of the Tianwen-1 Mars probe, Zhang Runhong, the first female "01" commander at a launch site and countless others.

Ranging from Wang's lessons from orbit that inspire generations to Huang's steadfast commitment on the ground -- Chinese women are moving beyond participation to taking command and leading in core areas of the national space program, proving that with equal opportunity, the sky is not the limit -- it's just the beginning.