Complex sentence: While the first American woman in space was separated from the first woman in space by 20 years, a span of one year separated the first and second Chinese women in space, taking place on consecutive missions, Shenzhou 9 and Shenzhou 10.
Split into simpler sentences: While the first American woman in space was separated from the first woman in space by 20 years. A span of one year separated the first and second Chinese women in space, taking place on consecutive missions, Shenzhou 9 and Shenzhou 10.