China plans to recruit female astronauts next year for future space voyages following a suggestion from China's leading women's group, state media said yesterday.
Candidates are expected to be selected from not only 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-well trained women on space missions.
Physical requirements for astronauts have been lowered due to the increased maturity of China's rocket and satellite technology following successful flights involving five vehicles 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 female astronauts will not merely be a symbolic, image project," the deputy space chief said.
Last year, China sent the 431st person into space amid a great deal of media hype.
Its Shenzhou V spacecraft carrying former air force pilot Yang Liwei (楊利偉) orbited Earth 14 times and returned safely.
Since then, 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.
China plans to send two astronauts into space next year, but it is unlikely the duo will include a woman, as candidates for next year's mission will come from China's current pool of 14 all male astronauts.
Hu did not give a timeline on when a woman will go into space, but said 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, deputy space chief Hu said.
China's group of 14 male astronauts were selected from a pool of fighter pilots from the People's Liberation Army Air Force.
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 Ride was the first American woman to fly aboard space shuttle Challenger in 1983.
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