China announces first astronaut candidates from Hong Kong, Macau

China on Tuesday introduced the primary astronaut candidates from its particular administrative areas of Macau and Hong Kong, with the latter calling it a “wonderful web page” within the metropolis’s historical past.

Beijing has invested billions of {dollars} in its military-run space program because it pursues formidable plans for a manned lunar touchdown by 2030.

The China Manned Area Company mentioned Tuesday {that a} payload specialist from Hong Kong and one other from Macau have been amongst 10 candidates for the nation’s fourth batch of astronauts.

Hong Kong chief John Lee referred to as it “an excellent web page in Hong Kong’s historical past”.

“That is… the primary time {that a} Hong Kong citizen was chosen as a payload specialist in China’s manned space program, with an opportunity to grow to be an astronaut to go to space in individual, to take part in analysis and to contribute the nation’s space program,” Lee mentioned.

Solar Dong, Hong Kong’s tech and innovation secretary, mentioned the successful candidate was chosen out of a pool of 120 candidates by way of a multi-round course of that has been happening since 2022.

“We accepted a moderately big selection {of professional} backgrounds together with pure sciences, engineering, biology and medical science, as a result of the space is a model new space for scientific exploration,” he advised reporters, declining to call the Hong Konger chosen.

Macau’s authorities additionally issued a press release Tuesday, calling the number of one among its personal “an honor” that despatched “a powerful inspirational message to the younger folks of Macau”.

The China Manned Area Company mentioned the choice to pick out astronauts from the 2 territories “has garnered robust assist and enthusiastic participation from native communities”.

Plans for China’s “space dream” have been put into overdrive beneath Chinese language President Xi Jinping.

Beijing has closely invested in its space program over the previous decade, making an attempt to meet up with the US and Russia after years of belatedly matching their milestones.

The nation notched a win this month after its probe carrying samples from the far aspect of the moon began its journey again to Earth.

Different achievements included constructing a space station referred to as Tiangong, or “heavenly palace”, in addition to touchdown robotic rovers on Mars and the moon.

China goals to ship a crewed mission to the moon by 2030 and plans to construct a base on the lunar floor.

© 2024 AFP