Liu Yang - Photograph: Jason Lee/Reuters

It is said that you should reach for the stars and this was exactly what Liu Yang did. Liu Yang aged 33 was the first Chinese woman to blast into space. She had only been training for two years.

According to Wu Ping a Space programme spokeswoman, she said: "Generally speaking, female astronauts have better durability, psychological stability and ability to deal with loneliness."

Liu recognises that as a female astronaut working along side her two male colleagues, they will complement and achieve better results from the mission.

She is proud to be flying on behalf of her fellow countrywomen and the world is proud to see that she is flying the female flag.