Liu Yang will be China's first woman in space

Liu Yang, China's first female astronaut in space, prepares for her mission on the Shenzhou IX manned spacecraft in Jiuquan, Gansu province, June 12, 2012.[Photo/sina.com.cn]

Astronaut Liu Yang, one of China's two female reserve astronauts and a former air force pilot, will become the country's first woman in space as she and two other astronauts will board the Shenzhou IX spacecraft and lift off at 6:37 pm on Saturday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, announced the country's manned space program.

She will be joined by Jing Haipeng, a veteran astronaut who was in the three-day Shenzhou VII mission in 2008, and Liu Wang, a new face to the public.

The three astronauts will carry out the country's first manned space docking mission that is an important step in the lead-up to building a space station by 2020.