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Astronauts in zero-gravity tests for mission
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-16 08:43
China's first
astronaut Yang Liwei, pictured in 2003. The 14 candidates for China's next
manned space mission have undergone testing for the zero-gravity
conditions they will experience in orbit, state media said.
[AFP] | The 14 candidates for China's next manned space mission have undergone
testing for the zero-gravity conditions they will experience in orbit, state
media said.
Competition is heating up as just
two of the 14 astronauts will have a chance to be on the next space flight,
expected to take place this autumn, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Despite the severe physical strain that a zero-gravity environment imposes on
humans, none of the 14 gave up during the five days of meticulous testing,
according to Xinhua.
"Not a single astronaut ever hesitated or dropped out during the extremely
hard training," said Yang Liwei, who became China's first man in space in late
2003 and who is also among the 14 vying for this autumn's flight.
Reflecting the strict secrecy surrounding China's space program, the Xinhua
reported no details on where or how the zero-gravity tests were performed.
Previously in China's space program, zero-gravity
experiments are reported to have been conducted in Russia, which, after decades
of space travel, has the equipment and experience.
Yang Liwei, China's
first astronaut into the space, is to walk out of the "Shenzhou" V
spaccraft in this October 16, 2003 file photo after the spacecraft landed
safely in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
[newsphoto] |
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