China to pick first moon landing astronauts from space veterans
(VOVWORLD) - China will select astronauts for its first-ever manned moon landing mission from the current pool that has participated in spaceflight missions, said Yang Liwei, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
 China will select space veterans for its first moon landing mission. (Photo: VOV) |
Yang said the main products commissioned for the country's first manned moon landing mission, including the manned spacecraft Mengzhou, lander, launch vehicle, spacesuits and rover, have entered the prototype development stage. Various large-scale experiments have also been initiated and the construction of supporting facilities has begun.
"In the future, astronauts for our moon-landing mission will be selected from a pool of those who have carried out previous missions. Sending humans to the Moon is not the ultimate goal, but rather a transit point to allow us to venture toward the more distant space. This is also one of the objectives of manned spaceflights in service of humanity," he said.
According to a press release of China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on March 3, the country plans to carry out a manned lunar landing before 2030.