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Female astronauts: single women need not apply
* Source: Global Times
* [02:14 March 16 2010]
* Comments
By Ji Beibei
For those who are interested in becoming a female astronaut for the nation, they have to forget about their dream if they are not married, have no children and have scars on skin.
Single women will be deemed unfit for the job, some aerospace experts say.
Woman astronauts should be psychologically and physically as strong as their male counterparts. A minor skin injury may cost them the job, according to Pang Zhihao, an expert from the Beijing-based China Academy of Space Technology, the Xinhua News Agency reported recently.
He told Xinhua that astronauts cannot have bad mouth odor, scars or foot diseases. He explained that a bad mouth odor may annoy other astronauts, and scars may bleed in outer space.
Aspiring female astronauts should also be married with children.
Pang said space flight might affect human genes, which may have an impact on a woman's offspring.
If female astronauts have given birth to children before flying, the space mission will not affect their family planning, he added.
The selection of astronauts is conducted by the nation's Air Force.
Astronauts are selected among pilots in China, said Wang Mingzhi, an expert from the Beijing-based Air Force Command College.
He told the Global Times Monday that female astronauts should be comfortable living in a restricted room for long periods of time, and able to conquer the fear of death and loneliness.
"Not every pilot can bear living in the restricted and closed space of the shuttle for days like Zhai Zhigang did and some may get flustered at the thought that there is zero chance of survival if something goes wrong with the space shuttle."
Zhai was one of the first generation of astronauts in China and he conducted the first space walk for the country in 2008.
Astronauts must also be able to withstand the pressures of gravity during rocket launch.
"Astronauts are required to resist gravity well," Wang said, adding that it usually takes a space shuttle several seconds to lift-off from the launch pad.
The nation has already selected two of 15 female applicants competing for the honor of becoming female astronauts for China, said Zhang Jianzhong, a military officer, during the annual sessions of the nation's top legislature and political advisory body.
The two women will undergo rigorous training, including ways to survive low temperatures in wilderness areas.
Over the next four years, they will be required to pass 50 academic courses, including medicine.
Some of their teachers were trained in Russia.
Pang said women are more considerate, thoughtful and can play a positive role in improving communications in space travel.
They can conduct human experiments in the zero gravity environment, such as observing the impact of high radiation on female bodies.
In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova of the former Soviet Union became the world's first female astronaut.
So far, a total of 52 women from the former Soviet Union, the United States, Japan and South Korea have been sent into space.
* Source: Global Times
* [02:14 March 16 2010]
* Comments
By Ji Beibei
For those who are interested in becoming a female astronaut for the nation, they have to forget about their dream if they are not married, have no children and have scars on skin.
Single women will be deemed unfit for the job, some aerospace experts say.
Woman astronauts should be psychologically and physically as strong as their male counterparts. A minor skin injury may cost them the job, according to Pang Zhihao, an expert from the Beijing-based China Academy of Space Technology, the Xinhua News Agency reported recently.
He told Xinhua that astronauts cannot have bad mouth odor, scars or foot diseases. He explained that a bad mouth odor may annoy other astronauts, and scars may bleed in outer space.
Aspiring female astronauts should also be married with children.
Pang said space flight might affect human genes, which may have an impact on a woman's offspring.
If female astronauts have given birth to children before flying, the space mission will not affect their family planning, he added.
The selection of astronauts is conducted by the nation's Air Force.
Astronauts are selected among pilots in China, said Wang Mingzhi, an expert from the Beijing-based Air Force Command College.
He told the Global Times Monday that female astronauts should be comfortable living in a restricted room for long periods of time, and able to conquer the fear of death and loneliness.
"Not every pilot can bear living in the restricted and closed space of the shuttle for days like Zhai Zhigang did and some may get flustered at the thought that there is zero chance of survival if something goes wrong with the space shuttle."
Zhai was one of the first generation of astronauts in China and he conducted the first space walk for the country in 2008.
Astronauts must also be able to withstand the pressures of gravity during rocket launch.
"Astronauts are required to resist gravity well," Wang said, adding that it usually takes a space shuttle several seconds to lift-off from the launch pad.
The nation has already selected two of 15 female applicants competing for the honor of becoming female astronauts for China, said Zhang Jianzhong, a military officer, during the annual sessions of the nation's top legislature and political advisory body.
The two women will undergo rigorous training, including ways to survive low temperatures in wilderness areas.
Over the next four years, they will be required to pass 50 academic courses, including medicine.
Some of their teachers were trained in Russia.
Pang said women are more considerate, thoughtful and can play a positive role in improving communications in space travel.
They can conduct human experiments in the zero gravity environment, such as observing the impact of high radiation on female bodies.
In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova of the former Soviet Union became the world's first female astronaut.
So far, a total of 52 women from the former Soviet Union, the United States, Japan and South Korea have been sent into space.
