BEIJING (AFP) Mar 12, 2004
China plans to recruit women astronauts next year for future space voyages following a suggestion from China's leading women's group, state media said Friday.
Candidates are expected to be selected from not only mainland China but Hong Kong and Macau, a senior space official told Xinhua news agency.
Hu Shixiang, deputy chief commander of China's Manned Space Program, said even though China's pool of available astronauts were all highly trained men, it was possible to have less trained women on space missions.
Physical requirements for astronauts have been lowered due to the increased maturity of China's rocket and spaceship technology following successful flights involving five spaceships since 1999, Hu said.
"Healthy common people can become astronauts for space missions after specialized training thanks to China's improved space training skills and, women, of course, will be included," Hu said.
"Our selection of woman astronauts will not merely be a symbolic, image project."
. . . the All-China Women's Federation, the largest quasi-governmental women's group, has lobbied for women astronauts.
"This suggestion has been accepted by the central authorities," Gu Xiulian, president of the Federation told the Beijing Youth Daily recently.
. . . the first group of female astronauts will only need three to four years of relevant training.
Selection for female astronauts will not be confined only to the ranks of woman pilots, Hu said.
. . . Valentina Tereshkova of the Soviet Union became the first woman astronaut in the world when she was rocketed into space on June 16, 1963 aboard Vostok 6.
Sally K. Ride was the first American woman to fly aboard space shuttle Challenger in 1983
SpaceDaily
