On cosmonaut training and manned astronautics in the future, Chinese astronauts are of such obvious advantages as suitable stature, agile physique, and high-quality of endurance for hardships, said Su Shuangning, commander-in-chief and chief designer of China's manned space navigation project.

He said this in answer to the untrue reports domestic and foreign, many of which are the imagining and guessing on China's selection and training of astronauts for manned spacecraft after the smooth return of Shenzhou III on April 1.

The Chinese cosmonauts, all of whom are strictly selected from among outstanding airforce pilots, must undergo many basic training in a very strict way and pass the professional examinations before they take on the heavy tasks, Su said.

According to Su, besides the Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center and Space Center Houston, only China has the adequate techniques and facilities for cosmonaut selection and training.

To build China's Cosmonaut Training Center into "China's Gagarin" or "China's Houston" is one of its goals. Meanwhile, China's Cosmonaut Training Center also takes up the tasks for developing and testing the cosmonaut system of manned spacecraft and controlling system of spacecraft environment, Su said.

The spacemen are the core of manned spaceflight. Taking spacemen as the kernel, all works must be carried out centering round the training of qualified cosmonauts and ensuring their safety, health, and efficacy.

The Shenzhou III spacecraft's returning module was carried back to Beijing April 2. After some initial examinations, experts said that the returning module--the mimic astronaut for metabolic test and for physiological signal are safe and sound after traveling in the space for millions of kilometers.

This indicates that the manned experimentation has achieved a good result as planned. It has verified that the environment control and life guarantee system can meet the medical requirements for manned spaceflight.

( April 24, 2002)