Only Two Women Set For Space In 2013
As the global space programs look to close the gender gap both at the International Space Station and the Chinese space laboratory, there appears to be only two women set to go to low earth orbit in 2013 - one American and the other Chinese.

Taikonaut Wang Yaping


SHENZHOU 10 is a planned manned spaceflight of China's Shenzhou program that is scheduled for launch in 2013 in the final mission to Tiangong 1. Among the crew of three is expected to be female taikonaut WANG YAPING. The female taikonaut is expected to spend 10-to-14 days in space next year. Wang Yaping was among he back-up crew for the Shenzhou 9 mission which carried the first female taikonaut to space this passed summer (2012) - taikonaut Liu Yang.

NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg


NASA astronaut KAREN LUJEAN NYBERG, has been assigned to the EXPEDITION 36 crew as a flight engineer and is scheduled to fly to the ISS aboard SOYUZ TMA-09M in May 2013. Dr. Nyberg will be the only female astronaut or cosmonaut to fly to the International Space Station in 2013. Nonetheless, the female crew corps at the orbiting labortory is expected to change in 2014 with the addition of Russian cosmonaut Yelena Serova and ESA astronaut Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti having long duration stays of nearly 6-months each.

1st Woman Valentina Tereshkova


Only two female NASA astronauts - Peggy Whitson (2007-2008) and Sunita Williams (currently and only female at the ISS in 2012) - have served as International Space Station commanders during the 11-year program.

The 21st century space effort of all nations should begin to close to the male-female ratio on orbit. If humanity is to become a true spacefaring species, both sexes should have near equality.

Source: alienspress.blogspot.com