China has begun the preliminary stages for selecting its first female astronauts and will formally announce the selection plan by the end of the year, according to China Daily. more ›

China is planning on putting its first woman into space, just months after sending its first women fighter pilots up into the air. According to Yang Wei, China's first astronaut, "I believe Chinese women will be seen in space in the near future." Each astronaut-to-be will undergo two to three years of training and will probably complete their journeys into the great beyond by 2012. As China Daily is wont to do, it included a questionable and unintentionally funny quote about the suitability of women in space. A researcher with the China Academy of Space Technology told the paper that "Women are better at handling loneliness in space where you can only hear the buzzing sound of machines." Yeah, I guess we are pretty good at handling buzzing machines. more ›