Astronaut Wang Yaping Becomes First Chinese Woman to Walk in Space This marks the first time China's Shenzhou-13 crew had exited its space station after arriving last month.

By Chloe Arrojado Edited by Amanda Breen

Barcroft Media | Getty Images

On November 8, astronaut Wang Yaping made history as she became China's first woman to conduct a spacewalk.

According to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), Yaping ventured outside of China's Tiangong space station with astronaut Zhai Zhigang for six hours to install equipment and work on the station's robotic arm. They also tested the safety of supporting equipment.

"This marks the first extravehicular activity of the Shenzhou-13 crew, and it is also the first in China's space history involving the participation of a woman astronaut," CMSA said in its statement. "The whole process was smooth and successful."

Related: The Boy Who Went Into Space With Jeff Bezos Has Never Shopped at Amazon

Yaping, Zhai and fellow astronaut Ye Guangfu are all a part of China's Shenzhou-13 crew, which launched into space on October 16. The crew is on a six-month mission in the Tianhe module, which is the core of the space station. Though the station is currently unfinished, China plans to have the station fully crewed and operational by the end of 2022.

Compared to the International Space Station (ISS), Tiangong is projected to be much smaller in scope. Tiangong will only have three modules, while the ISS has 16. However, because of the United States' 2011 Wolf Amendment, Chinese astronauts cannot dock at the ISS.

Before Yaping, only 15 women in the world had done a spacewalk. Soviet astronaut Svetlana Savitskaya was the first woman to complete one in 1984, but since then mostly American NASA astronauts have conducted spacewalks.

Related: Why Revolutionizing Farming Should Be the Next Space Race

Chloe Arrojado

Entrepreneur Staff

Editorial Assistant

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

After a 12-Year-Old's Side Hustle Made Over $4,000 in 1 Day, He and His Dad Grew the Business to Nearly $50,000 a Month: 'It Takes Commitment'

Madden Forrest and his father, Steven, turned their passion for football into a lucrative business.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Mattel Signs First-of-Its-Kind Deal With OpenAI to Bring ChatGPT to 'Iconic' Toys

Mattel is also allowing its employees to use ChatGPT Enterprise to help design new products.

Business News

Google, Spotify Down in a Massive Outage Affecting Tens of Thousands. Here's What We Know.

Both Google and Spotify appear to be down for thousands of users.

Growing a Business

3 Things You Need to Know About Building a Company That Lasts

If you want to build a business that lasts, technological solutions must be inscribed into the very fabric of your company's being. Here's why.

Thought Leaders

6 Steps I Used to Escape Debt and Turn Crisis Into a Competitive Edge

Feeling afraid is natural. But feeling afraid every day? That's not sustainable, especially for entrepreneurs.