Hong Kong and Macao Space Pioneers Join the Ranks: China’s Astronaut Team Welcomes New Talent
China’s Fourth Batch of Preparatory Astronauts Fully Integrated into the Team
China News Service, Jiuquan, October 29 – The press conference for the Shenzhou 19 manned mission was held at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson of China Manned Space Program, announced that the payload experts in the fourth batch of reserve astronauts, hailing from Hong Kong and Macau, have joined the team on August 8.
The training content for the fourth batch of reserve astronauts has been revamped to accommodate the new characteristics of their future missions. In addition to mastering basic skills such as life, work, and health maintenance in weightlessness, they will also learn extravehicular activities, equipment maintenance and repair, space science practice/experiment, and other skills. Furthermore, the training is geared towards future manned lunar landing missions, where astronauts will learn to control aircraft, drive lunar rovers, identify celestial bodies, conduct geological research, and walk on the moon’s surface.
Lin Xiqiang emphasized that the Hong Kong and Macau load experts have been fully integrated into the team, training with enthusiasm and in good physical and mental condition. To facilitate their integration, targeted courses such as manned spaceflight spirit and Mandarin have been arranged, and their dietary needs have been scientifically formulated according to their characteristics.