Astronaut Wang Yaping has become the first Chinese woman to walk in space, authorities said Monday, as part of a six-month mission to the country's space station. Wang and fellow astronaut Zhai Zhigang left the main module of the Tiangong station for more than six hours to install equipment and carry out tests alongside the station's robotic arm as part of its ongoing construction, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMS). The third member of the crew, Ye Guangfu, provided assistance from inside the station, CMS said on its website. Tiangong, meaning "heavenly palace", is a crucial part of China's military-led drive to become a leading space power, after landing a rover on Mars and sending probes to the Moon. Its core module entered orbit earlier this year, with the station expected to be operational by 2022.