The selection of the fourth batch of Chinese astronauts will be completed soon, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced at a press conference yesterday.
This fourth batch will work with other active astronauts to carry out follow-up space station missions, as well as realizing the country’s manned lunar landing, said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA.
Lin said China has essentially completed the selection of payload specialists in Hong Kong and Macau for the fourth batch of astronauts. Details will soon be officially released.
Scientific research institutions in Hong Kong and Macau have proposed a group of new space science and application projects, such as a project on high-resolution global greenhouse gas detection, which hopefully will be carried out at the country’s space station, Tiangong, in the future, according to Lin.
China selected 14 astronauts from its 1998 air force pilot cohort and seven from its 2010 cohort. In 2020, it completed the selection of its third batch of 18 astronauts, which includes space pilots, flight engineers and payload specialists.
