Astronaut in orbit takes historic step

A screencap taken at Beijing Aerospace Control Center showing Chinese taikonaut Wang Yaping conducting extravehicular activities out of the space station core module Tianhe. - Xinhua

CHINA (China Daily/Asia New Network): Senior Colonel Wang Yaping, 41, became China's first female spacewalker on Sunday evening when she took part in the Shenzhou XIII mission's first extravehicular activity with mission commander Major General Zhai Zhigang.

The extravehicular operation began at 6:51pm when Zhai opened a hatch. By 8:28pm, Zhai and Wang had exited the Tiangong space station, the China Manned Space Agency said in a statement.