China is to launch its second manned spacecraft Shenzhou-6 next year. China is still considering the length of the fight and whether one or two astronauts will man the trip.
Director of the China National Space Administration, Sun Laiyan says China is still considering the length of the fight and whether one or two astronauts will man the trip.
He says China is pursuing a policy of the peaceful exploration of outer space and welcomes cooperation and exchanges with other nations.
China expects to have cooperation from the US and Japan in exploring outer space.
Meanwhile, Sun Laiyan said China would not send women in space in the near future, but it is considering a plan to select woman candidates and train them for space missions.
He said China has followed a policy of gender equality since New China was founded in 1949.
Qi Faren, designer-in-chief of the country's manned spacecraft, said earlier this year that there is no technical problem for China to send female astronauts into orbit.
He said it is possible women may be chosen to do lab work on space missions in the future.
Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei landed safely on earth on Oct. 16, 2003 aboard the Shenzhou-5 after orbiting the Earth 14 times on the 21 hour mission, making China the third country after Russia and the United States able to put people in space.
(CRI August 12, 2004)
