spacetoday.net: Chinese astronauts training for next flight

Posted: Mon, Feb 2, 2004, 11:44 PM ET (0444 GMT)
China's astronaut corps will start training next month for that nation's next manned spaceflight, Chinese media reported Monday. The 14 Chinese astronauts will begin training in March for the Shenzhou 6 flight. The 14 will be split into pairs, with eventually one pair of astronauts selected to fly the mission. No date for the flight was announced in the Chinese reports, but previous articles have indicated the mission would take place some time next year. The astronauts have been performing only light training since the October flight of Yang Liwei became the first person launched into space by China. The reports said China may also being recruiting new astronauts, as all the members of the current corps are over the age of 30. In a related story, Australian newspapers reported over the weekend that Australia and China had made a secret agreement to allow Shenzhou 5 to land in the Australian outback in the event of an emergency.