After the selection process, foreign candidates will travel to China for in-depth training on how to live and work on the space station.
China will soon begin training foreign astronauts for missions to the Tianhe Space Station, as reported by AP on February 28. Several countries have expressed interest in flights to the Tianhe Station, according to Chen Shanguang, deputy director of the manned spaceflight program of China, during an interview with CCTV on February 25.
Chinese astronaut Fei Junlong conducting space activities on the Tianhe space station on February 9, 2023. (Photo: Liu Fang/Xinhua/AP).
“We will soon begin selecting candidates from these countries for joint flights to our space station. They will be able to work with our astronauts to carry out scientific missions in space,” Chen stated.
Candidates will undergo a preliminary selection process before being brought to China for extensive training on how to operate the Shenzhou spacecraft, as well as how to live and work on the space station. “We also hope that foreign candidates can acquire some knowledge about Chinese culture as they will be on China’s space station,” Chen added.
Chen did not mention whether candidates need to know Chinese. However, some other experts hope that Chinese will be the working language on the Tianhe Station.
China developed its own space station after being excluded from the International Space Station (ISS) program. NASA is prohibited from collaborating with China in most cases, according to U.S. law. However, China continues to collaborate with the European Space Agency (ESA) and other countries on space projects.
China completed the main T-shaped structure of the Tianhe Space Station in November last year, which includes the Tianhe core module and two Dreaming Lab modules and Wen Tian. The station weighs approximately 66 tons, a small fraction compared to the 465-ton ISS.
The Tianhe Space Station can accommodate up to six astronauts, although typically only three are present for missions lasting around six months. With a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, it may be the only operational space station in the future if the ISS “retires” by the end of this decade as expected.
